WATCHDOG REPORT
Deaths in police custody soar to 240, says Ipid report
Independent Police Investigative Directorate report reveals 1,918 incidents of torture and assault committed by police officers
Up to 57% of deaths that occur in police custody happen as a result of the actions of police officers, according to a report tabled in Parliament by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid). Altogether, 1,918 incidents of torture and assault committed by police officers were documented by Ipid from April to September 2016. In 207 incidents, 240 people lost their lives in police custody in 2016-17, an increase of 71 from the 169 documented deaths as a result of police action in 2015-16. Incidents in the Western Cape accounted for 22% of the total. Other provinces with a relatively high incidence of police brutality are the Free State (15%), KwaZulu-Natal (13%), Gauteng (11%) and the Eastern Cape (10%). Ipid notes in the report that incidents of rape in police custody decreased from 15 in 2015-16 to seven in 2016-17. There were 66 cases of corruption including abuse of informers’ fees, aiding escape from custody, soliciting a bribe and issuing fraudulent documentation, ...
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