Cop accused in sex case: Sergeant
charges station commander
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is
investigating a sexual harassment case against a top Eastern Cape policeman.
The senior officer allegedly sexually assaulted a policewoman
and made inappropriate sexual comments towards her.
The harassment case was opened last month at a Buffalo City
Metro police station after the officer, who is a station commander, allegedly
touched the breasts of a female sergeant at his station on September 18.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is
investigating a sexual harassment case against a top Eastern Cape policeman
The station commander, who cannot be named until he pleads in a
court of law as it involves a sexual offence, yesterday refused to comment on
the allegations and referred questions to the police’s provincial
communications unit.
Provincial police spokesman Khaya Thonjeni yesterday confirmed
that a sexual harassment case had been opened against the officer at the police
station of which he is commander and that the docket was later transferred to
Ipid “for further handling and investigation”.
“The South African Police Services takes allegations of this
nature very seriously and will comply with the Ipid recommendations on the
matter,” Thonjeni said.
He referred further queries to Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini who
confirmed that Ipid had completed its investigation and that recommendations
had been prepared for the National Prosecuting Authority to decide.
The policewoman is said to be receiving counselling over her
alleged ordeal, and has refused to go back to work for the past three weeks
after her pleas to provincial police bosses for a transfer were not heeded.
The policewoman yesterday said she had been away from work
because “I could not cope with the stress of working closely with my abuser”.
She refused to comment more “for fear of further victimisation”.
It is understood she immediately reported the matter to her
immediate supervisor, and later to provincial police when asking for a
transfer.
One colleague who asked to remain anonymous said she was
“devastated, traumatised and so emotionally drained” as a result of the
incident, and that “she will have to get further counselling in order for her
to one day overcome the trauma that came with this gruesome act perpetrated by
someone she trusted.
“She cries almost all the time and she is even scared to even
come to work,” said her colleague. — asandan@dispatch.co.za
