Ganyesa - The nine-year-old boy allegedly assaulted by a North West petrol station owner has undergone his first psychological assessment, social development MEC Fenny Gaolaolwe said on Wednesday.
“We have succeeded in securing the services of the psychologist who has already started with the assessment on the mental state of the boy,” she said in a statement.
The first assessment was conducted on Friday.
The boy was allegedly handcuffed and tortured at a petrol station in Disipi, about 48km from Ganyesa, on May 28.
According to the boy's sister, her brother did not go to school on the day, saying he felt ill.
“He asked me for coins to go buy sweets at the filling station around 8am. We were called later to find him handcuffed and crying as he was being tortured by the shop owner,” she told Sapa at the time.
She cannot be named to protect the child's identity.
The police were called and spoke with the man in his office.
“They came out and told us to ask for money from the man to treat the child, and not lay a charge. We had to go to the police station the following day to open a case,” the sister said.
She said the police told the family a few days later that the alleged assailant was in Bloemfontein.
Gaolaolwe has since visited the boy's family, with social workers providing trauma counselling to the boy and his family.
The filling station owner appeared in the Ganyesa Magistrate's Court on Monday. He may not be named to protect the child's identity. Sergeant Kealeboga Molale said the matter was postponed to August 22 for further investigation.
Sapa