Free State Police have upgraded an investigation into the alleged assault of black teenagers at a resort to an attempted murder case.
PHOTO: Fani Mahuntsi, Gallo Images
- Police have upgraded an assault case to attempted murder after a group of men attacked two teenagers at a Free State resort.
- Officers initially opened a common assault case in what appears to be a racially motivated incident.
- A video showing white men attacking two black teenagers in a swimming pool in Bloemfontein on Christmas Day has since gone viral.
Free State Police have upgraded an investigation into the alleged assault of black teenagers at a resort to an attempted murder case.
Police spokesman Brigadier Motantsi Makhele said on Tuesday police would change the charges against the men, who allegedly attacked teenagers at a Free Estate resort, to attempted murder. This is because more information came to light during the investigation.
On Monday, Makhele said a common assault case was being investigated after a group of men allegedly attacked two black teenagers at the Maselspoort Resort on the outskirts of Bloemfontein on Christmas Day.
A video of the apparent racially motivated confrontation has gone viral on social media.
READ | Police investigating assault after black teens attacked in alleged race confrontation at Bloem resort
Makhele said police initially opened a case based on information provided by one of the victim’s parents, who alleged the teens had been “robbed by a group of white males for use of a swimming pool.”
Based on this information, “the only charges that could be recorded were Crimean common assault and battery,” Makhele said.
After obtaining further statements, the file was submitted to the state’s top prosecutor “who gave an instruction that [the] Charge may be changed to attempted murder given additional facts.”
“The file was received from the state’s top prosecutor with clear directives. The investigator is now working on these directives and we anticipate that the perpetrator or perpetrators will soon be brought before a court of law to be held accountable,” Makhele said.
Attempts to reach the Maselspoort Resort have been unsuccessful.
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