The social media world was filled with mixed emotions over the weekend after a video surfaced of Facreton residents allegedly attacking the police for trying to arrest an alleged rapist.

According to public relations officer of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) Chesslyn Steenberg, a 46-year-old male sexually assaulted a 15-year-old.

“The community then came and wanted to attack the man. He is a resident from the Mitchells Plain community. The local SAPS had to be called in to stabilise the situation.”

Mob justice has long been a contentious issue in South Africa. Some frown upon it whilst others support it. With mob justice comes a massive grey area where most believe the “punishment should fit the crime.”

Steenburg believes that the Facreton community wanted to afflict mob justice on the individual.

“The Kensington CPF has titled it as an ‘attempted mob justice attack’ and we thank the men and women in blue for acting swiftly. As a CPF, our job is simply to be a relationship builder between the community and SAPS and we cannot allow such activities in our community.”

Steenburg said that this attack was a first-time occurrence.

“We believe that this is a once off for such a bad incident to have happened and then the result thereof be mob justice,” Steenburg said.

When addressing the overall feeling of the community, Steenburg said that the area has been stabilised with regards to gang violence and crime.

“We have our regular house breakings and robberies, but murder and attempted murder are not of the main types of crime. Most cases of murder and attempted murder are linked to gang violence.”

Steenburg further explained that their community has not yet felt the strength of the Anti-Gang Unit and rather credits the local police station.

“I will rather give the credit to our local police station, but we can’t really give credit to the Anti-Gang Unit because our area has not really experienced their arm or presence since their launch. We instead had other units like the Cape Town Cluster that came in and did their operations in conjunction with the City’s Metro Police.”

The executive of the CPF has visited the home of the victim and said the 15-year-old is currently receiving counselling.

“We have reiterated our support for the family and the victim but more so we have pledged our support with the family from day one until this case is closed. We have also promised the family to engage with the NPA (National Prosecuting Authority) to have her identity kept a secret,” said Steenburg.

The CPF plans to contest the suspects bail application.

“What we do know is that he does not have a permanent residence in Cape Town so that will hamper his bail application as well.”

Steenburg called upon residents of Cape Town to support the victim and further encouraged victims of abuse to come forward.

“We call upon the people of Cape Town and the Western Cape to support this young lady. This is not something she asked for. Given that we are in the 16 Days of Activism, we as a CPF strongly encourage people to come forth and tell us if they are being abused so the necessary steps can be taken.”

By: Zaahidah Meyer / VOC