Cape Town – A police officer has gone beyond the call of duty to assist two physically abused children who had not attended school for two years and were found roaming the streets.
Last September, Northern Cape police had received an anonymous report that three children – aged 2, 8 and 11 – were roaming the streets of Jan Kempdorp alone at midnight.
Police followed up and found the children malnourished and physically abused. The mother was arrested and appeared in the Jan Kempdorp Magistrate’s Court.
The mother is due to appear in the Jan Kempdorp Magistrate’s Court again today.
’’She was released on a warning and the children were removed from her care. It was also discovered that the children did not attend school for two consecutive years,’’ Northern Cape police said in a statement.
Detective Sergeant Andrew Ntlhati, of the Hartswater Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences, and his wife then went out of their way to secure admission to a local primary school for the 8-year-old girl and the 11-year-old boy.
’’They also bought complete sets of school uniform for the brother and sister, while the 2-year-old girl was also clothed by the couple,’’ police said.
A local business also supplied groceries for the children, who are now living with a caregiver.
Brigadier Nicky Mills, the provincial head for the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, expressed his gratitude to Nhlati and his wife for this ’’noble gesture’’.
’’It is great to see that policemen and women are still willing to go beyond their call of duty for victims of these heinous crimes, said Mills."
IOL