Johannesburg - A family who had to watch their bedridden matriarch set alight by her son-in-law are suing the police for more than R770 000.
The family have filed the suit because the officers allegedly refused to help them on numerous occasions.
Brenda Hedges and her two daughters, Cecilia and Lucille Schaper, say they spent years living in fear of Cecilia’s husband, Roland Bosman, because of his alleged abusive nature.
The sisters secured a protection order against Bosman, but the alleged abuser would keep returning to their shared home in Sophiatown to threaten the family, including the couple’s five children, physically and verbally.
It was only when Cecilia served divorce papers on Bosman last year in September that his threats reportedly turned from physical violence into murderous intent.
The family claim that on November 10, Bosman arrived at the home, went to Hedges’ bedroom, doused her in petrol and lit a match.
Bosman was arrested shortly after.
However, the family has filed a civil lawsuit against the police whose investigators they claim ignored Lucille, Cecilia and their lawyer, advocate Cathy Welsh, a total of nine times when they reported Bosman’s threats at the Sophiatown police station.
The damages claim targets the Minister of Police Nathi Nhleko, the national commissioner General Riah Phiyega and four police officials stationed at Sophiatown.
According to the family’s affidavit, when the protection order was served on Bosman in August last year, he tore up the document and threatened to “burn the house down with everyone in it”.
Lucille claims that when she visited the local police station, the officer on duty refused to open a criminal case or even read the protection order.
The family claim that Bosman threatened Cecilia and Hedges with a firearm on September 18 last year and broke their washing machine. Later that evening, he allegedly tried to stab Lucille with a butcher’s knife in front of Nicole, before fleeing.
When Lucille telephoned the police station, two officers arrived at the house but would allegedly not leave their vehicle or take a statement. When she went to the station the next morning, police again refused to take a statement or open a case.
Hours before setting Hedges alight, Bosman is reported to have assaulted Lucille and she claims she was once again ignored when she went to Sophiatown station.
Welsh, who had taken on the Schapers’ cases on behalf of legal NGO, Probono.Org, also tried to contact investigators, but Bosman was still not arrested.
The Star