Durban - A Chatsworth man, accused of stealing from an abandoned house, has claimed he was tortured by police who set their dogs on him, leaving him with multiple bite wounds, including on his genitals.
The drama unfolded two weeks ago when Jerome Naidoo, 26, said he sought refuge in the empty house next door after he came home from work and was locked out in the rain.
Police spokesman Thulani Zwane confirmed the incident, saying the police were investigating a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
He said Naidoo was arrested for allegedly “breaking into a house” in Armenia Terrace in the Arena Park area where a kitchen door and lights were apparently stolen.
Naidoo was charged with housebreaking and theft. He appeared in the Chatsworth Magistrate’s Court last Monday and was released on bail.
“I think one of the neighbours gave the owner a call and he was there in 20 minutes,” Naidoo said.
He said foreigners had moved in and out of the property in recent months after it had been vacant for about a year. No one had been living there recently.
He said he always befriended whoever lived in the house.
The owner of the house, allegedly a colonel at the Durban central police station, arrived with two police vehicles.
“They came into the house – I hadn’t done anything wrong, so I didn’t run,” he said.
“They asked me what I was doing and I told them I was just hanging around because there was no one at home and it was raining.
“I told them I wasn’t housebreaking because the door was open, I came through the front gate which was open; there was nothing to steal because it’s empty and abandoned.”
He said more police cars arrived and he started to panic.
The vehicles were from the Malvern, Chatsworth and Durban CBD police stations and one from the uMlazi K9 dog unit, he said. In total he counted 10 cars.
He said two policemen from the K9 unit then brought dogs – a German shepherd and a Rottweiler.
With his hands cable-tied behind his back, he was taken upstairs.
“They made the dogs run around the house and then directed the dogs to me. I was pepper-sprayed by (name withheld).
“He then commanded the dogs to attack me,” he said. He said he was also stripped naked and the dogs were set on him for a second time.
The rest of the police officers stood outside “smoking, talking and laughing”.
Naidoo said after the incident he battled to open a case and the police refused to help him, but he was eventually helped when a senior officer intervened.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini said the matter had not reached his office yet, but contact had been made with police.
“They (police) have undertaken to send the docket to us. Once we have the docket we will be in a position to comment,” he said.
The Mercury