Police beat boy over stolen bag

Nomhle Kangootui

THE mother of an 11-year-old boy, Kensley Schultze, who was accused of stealing a school bag and was allegedly assaulted by two police officers is outraged by the law enforcement agents’ lack of remorse.

A shocked Anna-Magrieta Schultze told The Namibian that the two officers - one from the City Police and the other a Namibian Police officer - ganged up on the defenceless boy.

A doctor’s report indicates that the boy was bruised on the left cheek, back, buttocks and thighs.

Schultze has already opened a case against the officers at the police complains office.

City Police spokesperson, Superitendent Helena Mootseng confirmed that Nampol was investigating the matter.

Schultze said her son has been psychologically affected by the beating.

“How do you beat a defenceless boy like that? My son wanted to become a police officer or a fireman but his dreams are gone with this attack,” Schultze said.

She identified one of the officers as !Gawagab, the other as Pius and their supervisor as Kalep.

Efforts to get the full names from the City Police and Nampol proved fruitless when they did not call back.

Kensley and his friends were playing soccer at the After School Centre Youth Centre in Grysblok, Katutura. The centre is a government initiative meant to strengthen the social well-being of Namibian children.

The teacher who was on duty at the centre at time, Else Keddy, said one of the boys reported his bag stolen.

“I did not know how to handle the situation and so I called the police just to question and scare the boys and Kensley was pointed out by his friend as the one who had taken the bag. But to my surprise the police officers were very aggressive and they took him to the toilet and started beating him while asking where the bag was. I tried to stop them but they closed the toilet door and warned me not to come in. I really felt very bad,” Keddy said adding that the police tortured Kensley for close to two hours.

“I was really starting to get worried but did not know who to call since they were the police themselves,” she further said.

Kensley, who sustained head injuries, said he has never been so scared in his life.

“The police beat me with belts and kicked me. The more I said it was not me uncle, the more they beat me saying they were not my mother’s brother. I cried and pleaded with them to stop but they told me that they will take me to the police cells. This scared me. I told them that I was the one had taken the bag and that it’s at home just for them to take me there to my mother and grandmother,” the 11-year-old said.

Kensley said his grandmother was home when the officers took him there and his aunt told the officers that they had no right to beat the boy.

Mootseng said the City Police doesn’t condone any kind of unfairness or violence from their officers.

“If it is true that the officer was guilty, we will deal with him accordingly. We are also grateful that Schultze reported this matter and by doing so we will know how our services is. We are here to serve the community and not just be against them. Nampol’s complains office is investigating the case and we as City Police will also do our independent investigation. We encourage the public to come to our head office for complains and unfair treatments,” Mootseng said.