Cape Town – A couple arrested on suspicion of breaking lockdown regulations at Muizenberg beach said they are concerned about potentially having a criminal record, and what that would mean regarding visas.
Liam Bulgen said he and his fiancee Tereza Cervinkova were arrested after walking on Muizenberg beach on Monday.
He said he had chased after his toddler, who ran off on to the sand.
The young family was taking advantage of a relaxed lockdown restriction that allows people to walk and exercise between 6am and 9am, within a 5km radius from their homes.
Beaches and parks, however, remain closed.
“We are fortunate to live close to the beach and we were walking together with everyone on the boardwalk. My daughter was on my back and she made a noise and I took her off.
"She hopped over on to the sand and I ran after her. As I was trying to get her I heard a noise and within minutes, the police were there,” Bulgen said.
He said he was put into the back of a police van and his partner was put into another police car as she was breastfeeding their toddler.
“What was strange for us was that we didn’t know what was going on. One officer kept telling me I was stupid for taking a child out in public. We were wearing masks and some officers were not wearing masks.
"My partner started breastfeeding the child as we got closer to the van as she was crying. I was worried about my child and partner and they were driven to the station while she was breastfeeding.”
He said they were now concerned that they may get criminal records if found guilty by a court.
“They treated us like criminals even though we are innocent until proven guilty. They said that when she gets a criminal record, she won’t be able to renew her visa.”
Bulgen said should this happen, he would consider applying for a visa in his fiancee’s home country, the Czech Republic.
He said he understood the position of the officers but believed the
situation could have been handled better.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed the incident, saying the couple was charged for contravention of the Disaster Management Act regulations.