The South African Police Service has changed an assault case to one of attempted murder after new information came to light about a group of white men’s attack on two teenagers at Maselspoort Resort.
On Christmas afternoon, Glen SAPS members were called to a scene at the holiday resort in Bloemfontein.
On arrival, officers found the groups had dispersed. A parent of one of the victims told the police that his two teenage boys, aged 18 and 13, were assaulted by a group of white men during an argument about the use of the swimming pool.
Police said that based on the information given to them at the time, a case of common assault and crimen injuria was opened.
“That was not the end of our investigation, hence the investigator continued to obtained more statements before the docket could be placed before the senior State prosecutor,” police said.
“It was after obtaining these statements, the docket was presented to the senior State prosecutor who gave a directive that a charge could be changed to attempted murder, given the additional facts.”
Police reiterated that the police’s mandate was to “investigate in order to arrest and not to arrest and investigate thereafter”.
The SAPS said it expected the perpetrators to be brought before a court within “no time” to account.
According to a recent report by IOL, top South African lawyer Zola Majavu has indicated that he would closely monitor investigations.
Majavu was speaking during an interview with eNCA after a video went viral on social media showing a group of black teenagers being attacked by white adults at a swimming pool at the Free State resort on Christmas Day.
Majavu told the broadcaster that the family of the victims had placed it on record that they were aware that not all white Afrikaners were racist.
IOL