Police captain to stand trial for allegedly calling colleagues the k-word
20 July 2018
Police captain JM Henrico, who is facing a charge of crimen injuria after allegedly calling his subordinates the k-word, will now answer to the accusations when he goes on trial in September.
After appearing briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday, it was heard that Henrico had abandoned his representations as to why he shouldn’t be prosecuted, and was now ready to proceed to trial.
Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR), representing the complainants, said that they had also filed representations to spell out their case, and why the matter should go to trial.
LHR attorney Wayne Ncube said he believed that Henrico had abandoned his representations after the complainants filed papers for consideration by the State.
Ncube said the trial would run over two days and that Henrico intended calling six witnesses to the stand, while the State would call three or four witnesses.
Henrico, who is a police officer at Pretoria Central Police Station, has been accused of using racial slurs and verbally harassing his colleagues. The complaints date back as far as 2016.
"Black police officers at the Pretoria police station have filed various internal and criminal complaints against Captain Henrico for numerous acts of racism against them," said Ncube.
"Some police officials also allege that complainants faced further victimisation after opening internal departmental and criminal cases."
Speaking to News24, one of the complainants who wanted to remain anonymous, said that she was still reeling from her experience and hoped that justice would be served.
"Every time when I see the captain, it’s painful for me," she said.
"When I think about him, the way he came into the cells, the manner in which he was talking to me. It's still traumatising.
"I believe maybe there will be justice. Some of the members will see that the treatment we were having here in [Pretoria] central is not good."
The trial will start on September 5.
