Farmer Charged After Illegal Hunter, 14, Injured in Bakkie Incident, Police Say He Was Not Dragged
- A farmer has been charged with assault and grievous bodily harm after he allegedly dragged a 14-year-old male behind his bakkie
- The boy and his friends were supposedly engaging in illegal hunting activities on the farmer's land, causing him to chase them
- South Africans were horrified to hear the story and are experiencing confusion due to conflicting information in police reports
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PETRUSBURG - A grievous bodily harm (GBH) assault case is being investigated in Petrusburg. The case was opened on Saturday, 13 November, 2021.
The case involves a farmer who tied and dragged a 14-year-old male behind his bakkie.
This information conflicts with police reports, which state that the boy was put on the back of the bakkie by the farmer after he has been chasing a group of boys that had engaged in illegal hunting on his property, SABC News reports.
Source: Getty Images
What we know so far
Fikiswa Matoti, a police spokesperson, said that the 14-year-old is in hospital where he is receiving medical care for injuries sustained during the incident. He was said to have been injured while jumping off the bakkie in an escape attempt.
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According to Matoti, the farmer apprehended the boy after the alleged illegal hunting incident and put him on the back of the vehicle to take him to the police station. The teen jumped off the bakkie while it was in motion, after which the farmer stopped the vehicle.
The identities of the farmer, the boy and his friends are unknown at this stage. Brigadier Motantsi Makhele, a provincial spokesperson for SAPS, told Briefly News that no arrest has been made so far. Makhele said that due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, no further details can be divulged at present.
South Africa reacts to the incident
@Lungs_star asked:
"Before I unleash my manufactured outrage… Did the boy jump off the moving bakkie as the police spokesperson says or was he tied and dragged?"
@kamogel56416651 said:
"The farmer apprehended the boy on the scene, why he didn’t call the police to come and arrest him, why did he tie the boy and put him at back of open bakkie? Lot of questions need to be asked from this farmer. I don’t buy his story."
@RonaldPhiri01 believes:
"Police say he jumped off the bakkie but unfortunately only the boy and the farmer would know the real truth."
@Black_Ash01 shared:
"I'm confused by the headline, it says he was ‘dragged’ behind the bakkie yet the story says he was put in the back of the bakkie."
KwaZulu-Natal police officer accused of 2 separate counts of rape
Previously, Briefly News reported on a KwaZulu-Natal teen who says she was raped by a local police officer. The incident allegedly took place on 13 June when she had left her home to buy airtime.
On her way to the shop, the 15-year old accepted a ride from a police officer who'd offered to transport her and a friend.
Reaching the spaza shop, the perp continued to drive off before stopping at his house and locking the girls inside, even threatening them with murder. On 15 June, she says he dropped her off near her home.
Source: Briefly News
