A Western Cape police sergeant called his cousin's girlfriend under the pretext that her boyfriend wanted to see her.
On arrival at a house in Albertinia on Monday, the 22-year-old woman found the policeman who was with another man.
The officer drove to a bushy area where he and the other man are alleged to have raped her.
The officer has been arrested while his accomplice is still at large.
This is one of many cases of rape reported against the police across the country. But the conviction rate in such cases is extremely low.
In a written parliamentary reply this week, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said 917 cases of rape involving police officers were reported from 2011 to an unspecified date this year. Of these, 481 were referred to courts for prosecution. There was a shocking conviction rate of only 60 cases.
Most of the alleged rapes had occurred in Western Cape, with 214 cases reported and 113 referred to the courts. There were only 19 convictions.
DA shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler Bernard said there was clearly miscommunication between the investigation and prosecution phases.
She said she would write to the chairs of portfolio committees on justice and police, requesting joint sittings to scrutinise the reasons behind the worryingly low conviction rate of SAPS members.
"If it is determined that the SAPS are not deliberately undermining the judicial process, the joint committee must ascertain whether or not the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] is presented with well- investigated cases and simply fails to properly prosecute.
"Every day that the causes of the unacceptably low conviction rates are not dealt with, more SAPS sex offenders are getting away with this abhorrent abuse," Bernard said.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesman Richard Mamabolo said: "The conviction rate leaves little to be desired as the police are supposed to be the first to create and guarantee a mood of safety within our communities. We are of the view that these revelations [of abuse] by a minority diminish communities' trust in the police service at the compromise of our many dedicated police officers."
mashabas@sowetan.co.za
Police getting away with rape
A Western Cape police sergeant called his cousin's girlfriend under the pretext that her boyfriend wanted to see her.
On arrival at a house in Albertinia on Monday, the 22-year-old woman found the policeman who was with another man.
The officer drove to a bushy area where he and the other man are alleged to have raped her.
The officer has been arrested while his accomplice is still at large.
This is one of many cases of rape reported against the police across the country. But the conviction rate in such cases is extremely low.
In a written parliamentary reply this week, Police Minister Nathi Nhleko said 917 cases of rape involving police officers were reported from 2011 to an unspecified date this year. Of these, 481 were referred to courts for prosecution. There was a shocking conviction rate of only 60 cases.
Most of the alleged rapes had occurred in Western Cape, with 214 cases reported and 113 referred to the courts. There were only 19 convictions.
DA shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler Bernard said there was clearly miscommunication between the investigation and prosecution phases.
She said she would write to the chairs of portfolio committees on justice and police, requesting joint sittings to scrutinise the reasons behind the worryingly low conviction rate of SAPS members.
"If it is determined that the SAPS are not deliberately undermining the judicial process, the joint committee must ascertain whether or not the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] is presented with well- investigated cases and simply fails to properly prosecute.
"Every day that the causes of the unacceptably low conviction rates are not dealt with, more SAPS sex offenders are getting away with this abhorrent abuse," Bernard said.
Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) spokesman Richard Mamabolo said: "The conviction rate leaves little to be desired as the police are supposed to be the first to create and guarantee a mood of safety within our communities. We are of the view that these revelations [of abuse] by a minority diminish communities' trust in the police service at the compromise of our many dedicated police officers."
mashabas@sowetan.co.za
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