Port Elizabeth – A 46-year-old man from Joubertina in the Eastern Cape will be instituting a civil claim against the South African Police Service (SAPS) after he was allegedly stabbed by an angry community member while in a police vehicle.
Last week, Jacques Debbes was driving along the R62 when he hit a 6-year-old child.
The child died at the scene.
The incident aggravated community members who allegedly wanted to attack Debbes.
According to defence attorney, James Riley, his client feared for his life while being threatened by angry community members.
Riley claimed that when police arrived they refused to escort Debbes away.
"Police took about an hour to get to the scene which was only about 2.5km away, it took three calls to get the police to attend to the matter," said Riley.
Riley said that his client was put in a double cab police vehicle but the next moment a community member opened the door and stabbed Debbes in the left leg with a knife.
Riley alleges that "police did absolutely nothing" and that his client was stabbed in the presence of a police official who was sitting next to Debbes in the vehicle at the time.
"His brother had to take him to a private doctor to get medical assistance. The moment the police put him in that vehicle he was their responsibility."
Riley said that he had received instructions to institute a civil claim against the state and that he would also be laying a formal complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).
"He was in a severe emotional state after the incident, he could not even make a statement to police. We have recommended that he go for psychological treatment," added Riley.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkholi confirmed the incident and said that the driver had not been arrested but police were investigating a case of culpable homicide.
"A group of community members became unruly and wanted to assault the driver, for his own safety police were going to take him away," he said.
Nkholi added that not one police official at the scene witnessed Debbes being stabbed in the leg.
"We advised him that he has the right to open a case but up until now he has not," said Nkholi.