Unlawful wounding crimes trouble Serowe police
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday August 16, 2022 06:00
Police said it is of great concern that people no longer value the sanctity of human life choosing to kill whenever it suits them.
Serowe Police Station commander, Superintendent Poloko Oteng’s concern follows the recent string of unlawful wounding cases in his policing area.
He said these cases are worsened by alcohol intake as they usually occur at entertainment spots when people are intoxicated.
Oteng stated that they always record murder cases in which people die from knife-stab wounds that started as a case of bodily harm.
He added that knife crimes are high and shared concerns as they do not know why most young men prefer to carry knives, especially at night and at entertainment places.
“Most of the victims and perpetrators of stabbings are the youth, especially men. When doing regular stop and search patrols, we frequently find young men in possession of knives and we suspect that these weapons are the ones that give them the confidence to fight whenever they are involved in a misunderstanding,” he said.
Oteng said they are currently investigating four unlawful wounding cases in which people were stabbed with sharp objects following disputes, especially from entertainment areas.
He said in a case that occurred on Saturday night at The Planet Bar in Botalaote ward in Serowe, a 54-year-old man was stabbed with a sharp object and is currently fighting for his life at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital.
“We do not know who stabbed him and investigations are ongoing to establish who committed the offence. In another recent similar case, a 28-year-old woman was recently stabbed with a sharp object by her 32-year-old boyfriend at Kgale ward in Mabeleapodi. The victim is also in a fight for her life at Sekgoma Memorial Hospital while investigations into the matter are ongoing,” he said.
In another case that occurred at Mpapadzi ward in Serowe, Oteng said recently a 34-year-old man was attacked and stabbed by two unknown men after parking his car by the gate.
“While waiting for his brother to open the gate the victim was attacked by two unknown men who stabbed him with a sharp object and fled the crime scene,” Oteng said.
“The victim was rescued by his brother when opening the gate. We do not know what the suspect’s intentions were when attacking him but we suspect that they wanted to rob him. Investigations to locate and arrest suspects are ongoing.”
In another matter, Oteng said they are investigating a case in which a 42-year-old woman was recently stabbed by her boyfriend with a sharp object after a misunderstanding at Dinokwane ward, Serowe. He stated that the suspect was arrested and charged with bodily harm.
Oteng further urged people to leave knives out of disputes, as efforts to tackle such crimes remain a challenge. He pleaded with men to respect the sanctity of life and avoid settling disputes through violent means.
“People should avoid unnecessary fights that usually lead to deaths and seek help when troubled. A knife is the most used weapon in my policing area as we always record murder cases in which people die from knife stabbings and grievous bodily harm incidents,” Oteng said.