Within a few hours after posting the image, the man was arrested.
Cape Town – Tafelsig residents will be protesting outside the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court today after a 26-year-old man was arrested soon after admitting to domestic violence on a Facebook post on Sunday.
In the post, which caused widespread outrage, the man posted a picture of his distraught girlfriend seen crying, admitting to having violated and harmed her, with rape implied, saying, “That’s what a man do, so I do it.”
The man was arrested within a few hours after having posted the image.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said the identity of the man could only be disclosed once he makes an appearance in court.
Traut said the man was due in court once formally charged.
Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Abie Isaacs confirmed that its volunteers and other groups would be present outside the court to oppose bail.
Isaacs said this is often done where a group of CPF volunteers go out in cases of domestic and gender-based violence and murder, calling for no bail for the accused.
Yesterday, the woman took to Facebook using the man’s account and said she would be dropping the charges against him for her children’s sake.
In a previous post, she expressed her gratitude for the support shown.
Magerman said she had been in a relationship with the man for around eight years.
Isaacs said CPF volunteers would still be present outside the court, even after the charges had been dropped.
“For us it is a concern, when specifically these types of activities are happening – domestic violence in particular.
“In general, women go to the police station, lay a charge then hours later withdraw the charges.
“It makes it difficult to put in place preventative measures. We understand they fear for their lives, hence we’re saying more needs to be done to protect the individuals. SAPS have done what they needed to do to the alleged perpetrator.”
Anti-crime and violence activist Roegchanda Pascoe said the dropping of charges was to be expected.
“His girlfriend will not lay a charge, therefore it is us as the people that should have laid a charge under the Domestic Violence Act.
“He already admitted to guilt on Facebook. The problem is that people do not understand the law or how to exercise it.”
Cape Argus
