Crime  ·  Featured Stories  ·  Gauteng

Woman to Lay Charges against National Police Commissioner


By Chelsea-Summer Lodewyk    17-Feb-2015 20:07 UTC+02:00 2
Picture - Citizen

Picture – Citizen

National Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega and her office have found themselves in the spotlight once again, and for the same damning reason: crimes committed by members of her police force.

Lana Stander, a woman from Randburg, has come forward to the press, accusing the police of assaulting her after being in a car accident on Main Road in Randburg in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The accident was as a result of an epileptic seizure that Lana had suffered. However, the police say she was intoxicated.

According to Stander, after the accident, the police arrived at the scene, arrested and tortured her, accusing her of driving under the influence.

The marketing professional said she was driven to an unknown location where she was allegedly beaten, thrown against a police car and tortured for hours, suffering several more epileptic attacks during that time.

The 26-year old who suffers from Chronic Epilepsy says the incident has left her feeling victimised because of her illness.

She also says witnesses at the police station watched as she was dragged out of the van where police mocked her, dancing around her during one of her seizures.

Stander was released on bail on Sunday morning with bruises and her wallet was returned to her empty.

With the aid of her friend, Bernhard Bekker, she has opened a criminal case at the Linden police station and laid a formal complaint at the Randburg police station.

Bekker says that 14 of Stander’s human rights were violated, ranging from brutal assault and torture to refusing to provide medication.

The Randburg Police Station says it is investigating the conduct of the officers involved. However, Randburg police spokesman Andries Odendaal says no one has been suspended as the investigation is still in it’s early stages.

Lana Stander says she will be pressing charges against Riah Phiyega and her office.



 2 Comments


  1. Lesley says:

    What animals these people are. Will be posting a follow up regarding her case proceedings?

  2. Eliza says:

    Go Lana,don’t leave it there and please go through with it. The police can’t do what ever they please and think they can get away with it just because they are the law.
    What they did to you is unacceptable and they must be punished. They must be suspended for life, we don’t need them in the SAPS. There are no trust in the police anymore and we need competent, trained, reliable, etc members in the police starting from the National Commissioner. Trust me the concerned citizens will support you.

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