Pertunia Ratsatsi
Pertunia Ratsatsi
Patricia Male, the young prostitute who was allegedly brutally assaulted in Pretoria last week, finally laid an assault charge against the police yesterday.
The attack, which was allegedly made by members of the Sunnyside police, left the woman in a coma.
After laying the charge, the diminutive woman told Sowetan that she was through with living on the streets and would return home to North West.
"I have had it here. I am afraid I will get killed," she said.
She was speaking outside the Sunnyside police station after being fetched from her boyfriend's house by Director Simon Mapyane, Gauteng's provincial commander of the Organised Crime Unit.
The lime-coloured scarf around her neck did not completely conceal the wound sustained during the alleged attack. Male also wore a shawl to hide injuries to her arms.
Male's alleged assault on Monday night was captured by Pretoria News photographer Herbert Matimba, who has accused the police of intimidation after they allegedly tried to confiscate his camera and then looked for him at his flat.
Matimba's initial attempts to lay intimidation charges were fruitless.
Sowetan learned yesterday that contrary to police Commissioner Jackie Selebi's weekend statement, last Monday's alleged attack on Male was the second in three days.
Male was allegedly attacked by the same police who sprayed pepper spray in her face on January 13.
She was treated at Pretoria Academic Hospital and discharged on the same day.
In his statement Selebi described reports of Male's beating as a "thumb-suck". He had in fact based his comment on the earlier pepper-spray attack.
Last night Male was scheduled to attend an identity parade to point out her alleged police attackers.
Prostitute charges cops with assault
Pertunia Ratsatsi
Pertunia Ratsatsi
Patricia Male, the young prostitute who was allegedly brutally assaulted in Pretoria last week, finally laid an assault charge against the police yesterday.
The attack, which was allegedly made by members of the Sunnyside police, left the woman in a coma.
After laying the charge, the diminutive woman told Sowetan that she was through with living on the streets and would return home to North West.
"I have had it here. I am afraid I will get killed," she said.
She was speaking outside the Sunnyside police station after being fetched from her boyfriend's house by Director Simon Mapyane, Gauteng's provincial commander of the Organised Crime Unit.
The lime-coloured scarf around her neck did not completely conceal the wound sustained during the alleged attack. Male also wore a shawl to hide injuries to her arms.
Male's alleged assault on Monday night was captured by Pretoria News photographer Herbert Matimba, who has accused the police of intimidation after they allegedly tried to confiscate his camera and then looked for him at his flat.
Matimba's initial attempts to lay intimidation charges were fruitless.
Sowetan learned yesterday that contrary to police Commissioner Jackie Selebi's weekend statement, last Monday's alleged attack on Male was the second in three days.
Male was allegedly attacked by the same police who sprayed pepper spray in her face on January 13.
She was treated at Pretoria Academic Hospital and discharged on the same day.
In his statement Selebi described reports of Male's beating as a "thumb-suck". He had in fact based his comment on the earlier pepper-spray attack.
Last night Male was scheduled to attend an identity parade to point out her alleged police attackers.