City Forum Building, 114 Vermeulen Street
www.icd.gov.za
Private Bag x 941 Pretoria 0001
Tel: (012)399 0000 Fax: (012)326 0408
E-mail:
complaints@icd.gov.za
SAPS WARRANT OFFICER CONVICTED OF ASSAULT GBH:
CLOCOLAN CAS 55/02/2008 AND CAS 56/02/2008
Media Statement
19 August 2010
A SAPS Clocolan based Warrant Officer
(WO) has been convicted of Assault with
intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH)
and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.
This follows an investigation by the Independent
Complaints Directorate (ICD) into allegations that
the policeman assaulted a father and his daughter
(complainant) on 15 February 2008 in Clocolan, Free
State.
It is alleged that the assault was sparked by a
family dispute between the deceased’s family and
her partner over who was entitled to bury her. The
feud was also about who was the rightful heir to the
deceased’s inheritance.
It is alleged that Warrant Officer Daniel Tau,
a nephew of the deceased’s partner sjambokked the
complainants when they refused to hand over the
deceased Identity Document (ID).
The complaints apparently went to open a case of
assault but instead they were beaten up again by
the same suspect at the police station.
The ICD was notified about the case in May 2010 and
immediately took over the docket for further investigation.
Upon completion of the investigation, the ICD referred the
matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a
decision. The DPP decided to prosecute on 12 November 2008.
The accused was charged with two counts of Assault GBH.
Court proceedings were concluded on 17 August 2010 when the
accused was convicted of one count of Assault GBH and was
acquitted on the other. The accused was sentenced to twelve
months imprisonment or a fine of R4000.00 wholly suspended
for four years.
