Cape Times – The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) will launch an investigation into the death of Heidelberg resident Gerald Esau, who died in hospital following injuries sustained while in police custody.
This comes after community activist Colin Arendse began looking into the Heidelberg police following a raft of complaints.
Esau was detained in the local police cells after being arrested in Roberts Road for drunkenness in 2015.
His family discovered the next day that he was admitted to George Hospital after he was found unconscious by the officers during shift change.
The 45-year-old was in a coma for eight months before he died in 2016, leaving behind one son, a daughter, a grandchild and four sisters.
Arendse said he was looking into a matter pertaining to the Heidelberg Police Station commander when he happened upon the Esau matter.
“I found the situation troubling and I reached out to the community and was inundated with copies of various incriminating evidence.
This included evidence issued by state medical staff, concluding that Esau’s cause of death was compatible with the clinically documented blunt force head injury and the complications thereof.
“It is my belief that Esau’s death was as (a result) of what occurred while in police custody, but more troubling is that the family was lied to,” said Arendse.
He said no inquest docket was opened, and that he had a copy of a letter on a police letterhead, signed by the Heidelberg police station colonel, stating Ipid had confirmed that nobody could be held liable for Esau’s death. He said Ipid had informed him they were investigating the matter.
Approached for comment, Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “We have received a number of allegations relating to Heidelberg Police Station, including this one.
“We are currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the veracity of the allegations.”
Esau’s sister Margaret Delafontain said the family welcomed a renewed probe as they had been previously denied answers as to what happened.
The police did not respond by deadline.