Bus rank �bully� confesses, as court date beckons
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday July 25, 2017 16:03
In May, a group of men and women insulted, mocked and stripped naked a woman for wearing a miniskirt that they felt was too revealing. One member of the public recorded the event using a cellphone and later posted it on social media. Police investigations have identified five suspects who will either be taken to the customary court or the magistrates’ court.
“One of the five men has confessed to the offence and was recently brought before a judiciary officer for a confession statement. We are yet to choose to either register it before the customary court or at the magistrate court,” said Borakanelo police station commander, superintendent Mothusi Phadi.
Phadi revealed that they are yet to seek guidance from their superiors on whether the case should be registered before the customary court or at the magistrates’ court. “Following this, an arraignment of the suspects will be made because the victim has opened an assault case against them,” Phadi said.
He conceded that their investigations took longer to conclude, but was confident that the suspects will appear before a court in the near future. Phadi stated that due to the nature of the offence, they had to gather as much as possible information during their investigations.
He stated that the suspects are facing an indecent assault offence of Section 146 (3) of the Penal Code which states 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 offence and liable to imprisonment of a term not exceeding one year’.
The video caused a lot of public distress prompting the country’s leadership and gender advocacy organisations to release statements condemning the incident. Social media users pointed out that it was a clear sign that Batswana are still living in a patriarchal society where men are in control.
Gender advocacy organisations called on the enforcement of the law, especially that the country has signed the SADC protocol on gender and development that reflects the country’s commitment in fighting all forms of discrimination. A week later, a group of women marched to the bus rank wearing revealing miniskirts and hot pants to communicate their displeasure under what they called #iwearwhatiwant.