Niemann was not immediately taken to hospital but apparently taken by the wife of the alleged assailant to her sister’s home.
“They took him to their place and the next day they threw him out and a neighbour found him and laid him on a mattress. They tried to call my fiancé and that’s when I found out what happened to Louie.
“I then called our older brother. When I arrived, he [Louie] was unresponsive. I could see straight away something was wrong. He couldn’t hear, he was confused. I know my brother and that was not him. I knew this was serious,” said Chelea.
With her older brother, they took Niemann to Steve Biko Academic Hospital where he underwent scans and emergency surgery to stop bleeding in his head.
Since then, Niemann was unresponsive and in a coma, but woke up and was taken off life support machines on Friday.
“He is still confused and doesn't know where he is. Hopefully, he will be better [on Saturday],” Chelea said.
“We’ve known these people who did this to him for 16 years, so it is people my brother knew and 'partied' with. They knew he wasn’t into fighting and was a peaceful person and he thought he was doing the right thing. I understand people might think differently — that an almost 30-year-old beats a 55-year-old, but what should one’s reaction be to gender-based violence? We were raised that a man should not hit a woman,” she added.
Meanwhile, the man who allegedly assaulted Niemann was arrested on Wednesday, police spokesperson W/O Johan van Dyk said.
“A case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened. One man was arrested for the assault and appeared in court on Thursday when he was granted bail,” Van Dyk said.
Niemann’s sister said she would ensure the perpetrator pays for any medical costs.
“I will do everything I can to help him in future. I don’t care if they get locked up, they will pay for his medical costs,” she said.
TimesLIVE
Man wakes from two-week coma after being beaten for allegedly defending GBV victim
Louie Niemann could not help but fight a man who was allegedly hitting his girlfriend, but instead, the Pretoria man landed up in hospital
Image: Facebook/Brendon Steenkamp
A Pretoria man has been fighting for his life after he was assaulted when he allegedly tried to defend a woman being beaten by her boyfriend.
Louie Niemann, 29, went to Maders Bar in Pretoria North two weeks ago but had no idea his night out would end with him in a coma at Steve Biko Academic Hospital.
While drinking with a group of people he knew, one of them allegedly started beating his girlfriend and Niemann felt he should intervene, his sister Chelea Niemann told TimesLIVE.
“My brother hit the guy and apparently it was quite a fight because my brother had scratch marks and bite marks on his back,” she said.
But apparently, another man in the group, aged 55, targeted Niemann and punched him on the head. Niemann fell to the floor and the man allegedly punched him again, knocking him out. A lady working in the bar poured bottles of water on Niemann to wake him up to no avail.
Image: Facebook/Brendon Steenkamp
Niemann was not immediately taken to hospital but apparently taken by the wife of the alleged assailant to her sister’s home.
“They took him to their place and the next day they threw him out and a neighbour found him and laid him on a mattress. They tried to call my fiancé and that’s when I found out what happened to Louie.
“I then called our older brother. When I arrived, he [Louie] was unresponsive. I could see straight away something was wrong. He couldn’t hear, he was confused. I know my brother and that was not him. I knew this was serious,” said Chelea.
With her older brother, they took Niemann to Steve Biko Academic Hospital where he underwent scans and emergency surgery to stop bleeding in his head.
Since then, Niemann was unresponsive and in a coma, but woke up and was taken off life support machines on Friday.
“He is still confused and doesn't know where he is. Hopefully, he will be better [on Saturday],” Chelea said.
“We’ve known these people who did this to him for 16 years, so it is people my brother knew and 'partied' with. They knew he wasn’t into fighting and was a peaceful person and he thought he was doing the right thing. I understand people might think differently — that an almost 30-year-old beats a 55-year-old, but what should one’s reaction be to gender-based violence? We were raised that a man should not hit a woman,” she added.
Meanwhile, the man who allegedly assaulted Niemann was arrested on Wednesday, police spokesperson W/O Johan van Dyk said.
“A case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was opened. One man was arrested for the assault and appeared in court on Thursday when he was granted bail,” Van Dyk said.
Niemann’s sister said she would ensure the perpetrator pays for any medical costs.
“I will do everything I can to help him in future. I don’t care if they get locked up, they will pay for his medical costs,” she said.
TimesLIVE
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