2 Heidedal Female Police Officers Nabbed for Assault GBH Set To Return to Court
- Two Bloemfontein female cops in the Free State are expected to appear in court for a second time on charges of assault GBH
- The police watchdog IPID arrested the duo on 5 February after a clip of them beating a female civilian went viral on social media
- The incident happened at the Heidedal police station on 19 January after the woman approached the police with a GBV complaint
- IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping told Briefly News the NPA's Director of Public Prosecutions was expected to make a decision
Source: UGC
Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist at Briefly News. A Head of Current Affairs, Mametela reported live from the presidential inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa and has written articles on politics, crime, courts, accidents and other topics, including sports, at The Herald and Opera News SA, among others.
HEIDEDAL — Two Free State female police officers are set to reappear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court after their viral assault video of a civilian.
The pair face charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) after viciously beating a woman who had reportedly gone to notify the police of a gender-based violence (GBV) incident committed against her.
Woman cops brutalise female complainant
The incident happened on Sunday, 19 January 2025, with the woman later reporting it to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
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Anticrime commentator Yusuf Abramjee posted the subsequent footage to X on Tuesday, 4 February 2025.
The officers, a constable and sergeant, were identified as Molebogeng Marumo and Mamorena Shuping after an IPID investigation led to their arrests on 5 February, with the officers making their first court appearances the next day.
They were released on R1,000 bail each and the case was remanded to Friday, 7 March for further investigations.
However, it was unclear if their release conditions barred them from being on active duty until the conclusion of the case.
The violent scenes begin with a diminutive-looking woman in civilian clothing attempting to leave the station.
But one of the two officers appears to hinder her from doing so as she grabs her clothes. Several heavy blows to the face and head with an open hand follow and the second cop momentarily pounces on the victim.
The victim seems to try and defend herself as they follow her outside the yard, where she continues to be beaten. At one, point, the woman falls to the ground and is dragged back into the station. All the while, she is kicked.
Further police brutality ensues inside, with the officers seen stopping, stepping on and repeatedly bashing the victim.
A probe was launched and IPID arrested the officers, who cannot be named until after their first appearance, on 6 February, over two weeks after the assault.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping, who noted a disagreement sparked the attack, said the duo faced assault GBH charges.
"They will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on 7 February. The victim allegedly wanted the police to intervene after her boyfriend violated a protection order," Suping told Briefly News.
"IPID concluded its investigation, and both dockets were handed over to the prosecutors for decisions. The victim sustained injuries on her body [during the assault]. The officers were detained at a local police station."
Suping said the victim's boyfriend had reportedly violated a protection order.
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Source: Briefly News
