Cell rape hell before wedding

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gpe

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http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2284864,00.html

09/03/2008 20:22 - (SA)

Willem Pelser, Rapport

Polokwane - It's the greatest fear of every law-abiding citizen: you land in a police cell without good reason and you're raped.

That is exactly what happened to a young father from Polokwane - just weeks before his wedding.

On Saturday, March 1, Nico Bouwer, 25, was wed while heavily medicated - antidepressants because of severe trauma and antiretrovirals to prevent HIV/Aids.

Four detainees repeatedly raped Bouwer in one night.

The police did nothing to prevent it from happening.

He had been arrested earlier in the day at an accident and thrown in a cell.

Bouwer said he had not been allowed to make the phone call to which he was entitled by law.

Asked four times for phone call

A broken Bouwer spoke openly to Rapport about his nightmare experience that began when he was arrested on January 6 because a police officer thought he had been driving recklessly.

At the police station, Bouwer said he had asked four times to phone his family, but this had been denied him each time.

In the dirty cell where he was kept with 25 other inmates, his arms were held and his head was pressed into a pillow so that his screams could not be heard.

Apparently, Bouwer wept aloud from shock and despair.

In the course of the night, he was repeatedly raped by four inmates.

He said the police did not once come to see what was happening in the cells.

Later, Bouwer lost consciousness.

When he woke up early the next morning, one of the men crawled to him and whispered with a smile: "After last night, you are truly one of us."

The man walked off when a police officer walked past the cell.

Bouwer was released on bail hours later after his family eventually had managed to trace him.

Devastated him emotionally

He fell to pieces and his family rushed him to hospital where tests were done.

Police took his clothing to get DNA evidence of the rapists.

Bouwer will get his final HIV/Aids tests this week and he is extremely worried about them.

The night from hell devastated him emotionally and he has nightmares and flashbacks.

"I still frequently wake up in the morning and smell the stinking cell in which I was raped."

Bouwer and his bride, Rose-Mary, 24, must receive intensive therapy according to doctors - if Bouwer can find the money.

His wife lost her job and he does not have medical aid.

His son, Jevani, 5 - who understands that his father was locked up by the cops - developed an intense fear of police officers.

Bouwer has identified the four rapists already and they have appeared in court on charges of rape.

He also wants to start a civil action against the police.

Inspector Lesiba Ramosheba of Polokwane police spoke to Rapport and confirmed the rape claims.

He denied Bouwer had not been allowed to make a phone call.

He also denied that police had neglected to regularly check what was happening in the cells where Bouwer had been locked up.

Complaints of rape during detainment were rare, said Professor Peter Jordi, a lawyer at the Wits law clinic.

Locked in cell with four youths

But, when it does happen, the police can be held responsible.

Jordi said police were supposed to inspect the cells frequently.

In 2003, a 15-year-old girl was raped by older men in the cells in Amsterdam, Mpumalanga.

In 2006, a young woman was raped in the Thembalethu police station outside George after she had been locked up in a cell with four youths.

In July 2007, Peter Wheeler, 55, of Middelburg was beaten and kicked to death by fellow inmates in the police cells in Grabouw after he had been arrested for drunkenness.
Click to expand...

:(
 
Sickening - this was clearly a racist move from the police and inmates. Hopefully he sues the Police - unfortunately we will be paying. Like we pay for all this governments f-ups.
 
In this case I wouldn't even lay a claim against the police and I certainly wouldn't point out the criminals. I'd just quietly make them disappear...
 
He had been arrested earlier in the day at an accident and thrown in a cell. --- they don't arrest for nothing.

In July 2007, Peter Wheeler, 55, of Middelburg was beaten and kicked to death by fellow inmates in the police cells in Grabouw after he had been arrested for drunkenness.

Moral: If you are drunk and in an accident. Always drive away. Else it seems you become prey.
 
If he was like 95% of people in SA he was drunk as a skunk before his wedding.

Does that justify what happened? Of course not.
Why did he not receive his phone call?
Why are you cells filled to that level?
Where are the police.
We must not forget that, just like the savage that robs an armoured car in broad daylight, he is "alleged to have been a suspect in an alleged offence".

The police on duty that night need to be dumped into a cell, one at a time.
 
Fudzy said:
Are you sure that's not just in America? Is it your right to have a phone call when incarcerated? Any legal boffins know?
Click to expand...

When you are arrested in South Africa, you have a legal right to a phone call.

You also have a legal right not to say anything.

You also have a legal right to be examined by a medical doctor.

You have the legal right to contact your lawyer.
 
Piepalook said:
When you are arrested in South Africa, you have a legal right to a phone call.

You also have a legal right not to say anything.

You also have a legal right to be examined by a medical doctor.

You have the legal right to contact your lawyer.
Click to expand...

Then who do you waste your phone call on?, the wife, the doctor or the lawyer?
 
diesel said:
Then who do you waste your phone call on?, the wife, the doctor or the lawyer?
Click to expand...

Whoever answers the phone first!

Then you pray that the doctor is not busy with an op,

Your wife still like you enough to worry about you, or

that you paid your lawyer in time the previous time you needed him!LOL:D
 
HaHa Il just tell the wife to phone the lawer and the doc, i hope this guy sues the police for millions, this sort of thing should be stopped immediately , they should seperate ppl in the cells, at least if someone comes in for less serious crimes like being drunk or driving to fast they should not be put in with robbers etc.
 
Nocturnity said:
In this case I wouldn't even lay a claim against the police and I certainly wouldn't point out the criminals. I'd just quietly make them disappear...
Click to expand...

True, i'd make it my life mission, but before they disappear down a well they would be in a world of pain for what they did to me. Pliers and a blow torch!
 
I dont understand someone pls clear this up for me... Why can the police just arrest someone on suspicion of something? mmmm i have a suspicion that you might have had to much to drink but i'm not sure lets just take u 2 jail just incase.

Can you not refuse?? Do they ask you to come with them, or do they fight you to the ground? Becuz theres no warrent out for you?? Its a different story if they saw you commit a crime, but suspicion??
Can you not drive off?? Would you be worse off?
 
gpe said:
He had been arrested earlier in the day at an accident and thrown in a cell. --- they don't arrest for nothing.
Click to expand...

Indeed, they certainly don't. If he landed in a police cell without good reason, then I'm sure he has a very good reason to sue them. It would never repair his dignity though!
 
This story has made me feel sick to my stomach...:sick::sick:
Ive been held overnight before in a local cell and thank god it was just me and a buddy and surprisingly a guy from my school back in the day...
 
Vegeta said:
I dont understand someone pls clear this up for me... Why can the police just arrest someone on suspicion of something? mmmm i have a suspicion that you might have had to much to drink but i'm not sure lets just take u 2 jail just incase.

Can you not refuse?? Do they ask you to come with them, or do they fight you to the ground? Becuz theres no warrent out for you?? Its a different story if they saw you commit a crime, but suspicion??
Can you not drive off?? Would you be worse off?
Click to expand...

In his case they arrested him for reckless and negligent driving, they would have also possibly taken him for a blood test.

With this sort of arrest you are held until the next available court date which would have been Monday.

The officer would open a docket and then the detective and the prosecutor would decide whether to pursue it or not.

If you are arrested you cannot refuse, they will tell you that they are arresting you for, since it is and arrest there is no need for a warrant. If you refuse to come they can and will use all reasonable force to affect the arrest.

A broken Bouwer spoke openly to Rapport about his nightmare experience that began when he was arrested on January 6 because a police officer thought he had been driving recklessly.

It would be a very very bad idea to drive off especially after they have informed you that you are under arrest.

While I am deeply sorry for this gentleman, the police cannot be expected to baby-sit prisoners 24/7, He would have been place in a cell with other prisoners, possibly they had no empty cells to put him in by himself. The officer on duty should have made hourly checks.

If there was negligence then the office responsible should be punished and Mr Bouwer should be compensated
 
I understand this guy was drunk and made an accident.. yeah fine arrest him.

But i was talking about all the arrests just to hold ppl these days like: "Outstanding fines" suspicion of this or that "dunkness on street"... "Talking on phone while driving" "Reckless driving(in their opinion)no one hurt"
Those types of BS, just basicly holding the person in a cell for a while without charging him

Are you allowed to tell them to bugger off?
 
I am surprised that his fiance / friends / family could not find him and bail him out. Surely they knew where he was (or where he was heading) when the incident happened.

If a loved one goes missing, do you not start calling police stations and hospitals as soon as possible?
 
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