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Vicky Somniso-Abraham
Jeanette Preis, the
mother of a 20-year-old student, also named Jeanette, shows where she was
punched in the neck by a metro police officer at the Kempton Park police
station, 3 August 2015. Earlier her daughter and her daughter's friend Angie
Botha were pulled over for speeding and were assaulted by the metro police
before being arrested. Picture: Michel Bega
Soon after spurious charges were
yesterday withdrawn against two women accused of speeding, negligent driving,
crimen injuria and assault, they recounted how female metro cops called them
“white bitches”, roughed them up and then locked them in a cell for several
hours.
Charges of crimen injuria and assault that were
laid by metro cops against Jeannette Preis, 20, – the daughter of Pretoria
advocate Danie Preis – were withdrawn before she appeared in court.
Her friend, Angie Botes, 20, appeared in the
Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on charges of speeding and negligent driving. A
negligent driving charge against Botes was withdrawn. She is out on R1 000 bail
and now only faces a speeding charge. She is expected back in court late this
month.
Matters came to a head on Monday after the pair
were pulled over for speeding by traffic cops from the Ekurhuleni Metro Police
Department (EMPD).
“They [metro cops] called us ‘white bitches’ and
‘spoiled white brats’. They said we are racists,” said Botes, who was
handcuffed during the arrest.
A passing male motorist, Happy Meyer, 60, who tried
to film the incident was arrested and charged with interfering in the process.
He was released on a bail of R500.
The trio were kept in the holding cells from 11am
to 6pm. Meyer and Jeannette Preis did not appear in court yesterday. They were
told charges against them had been withdrawn.
Meyer, whose car has Mpumalanga registration
plates, said “About 15 police officers encircled me and tried to force me to
delete the video and I refused.
“They said ‘this is Gauteng, we will sort you out,
you whites from Mpumalanga’.” He said he was paraded around in leg irons.
Jeanette’s mother, Jeannete Preis, 58, alleges the
same cops assaulted her at the police station while she was trying to enquire
about the arrests.
Preis had to see a doctor on Monday after the
attack. None of the complainants have indicated if they intend to press charges
against the officers. The EMPD is investigating the matter. –
vicky@citizen.co.za
