Bus rank assault suspects to be charged

Pini Bothoko | Tuesday December 5, 2017 19:44

 

The sexual assault incident in which a young woman was stripped naked at the bus rank took the nation by storm after its clip went viral on social media.

In an interview with Mmegi, Borakanelo police station commander, Superintendent Mothusi Phadi said the decision has been taken and the five suspects who were arrested and questioned will appear before court facing an offence of indecent assault.

He confirmed that the victim in the case has opened a case against the accused persons.

“Our investigations have been completed and the five men all being Batswana will soon appear before court. We managed to seek guidance from our superiors on whether to register the case before the customary court or at magistrate court. The Investigating Officer (IO) on the case has referred the matter to Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for assessment to prosecute. I am hopeful that very soon the matter will appear before court,” Phadi said.

He said one of the suspects had confessed to the offence and was earlier on brought before the judiciary officer for a confession statement.

He stated that the suspects are facing an indecent assault offense of Section 146 (3) of the Penal Code which state that ‘Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, alters any words, makes any sound or gesture or exhibit any object intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such woman or intrude upon the privacy of such woman is guilty of an offense and liable to imprisonment of a term not exceeding one year’.

A group of grown up men and women stripped naked, insulted, mocked the woman with the other one recording the unfortunate incident.

The video went viral on Facebook a day after the incident with Batswana despite their gender, the country’s leadership and gender advocacy organisations releasing statements condemning what had transpired.