[News] 21-year-old South African woman horribly beaten by boyfriend says police instructed her to “go and talk things through with him”

A 21-year-old South African woman who was brutally beaten by her boyfriend has narrated how the police instructed her to settle the matter between them.

Bruised, beaten so badly, psychologically abused, and barely able to see through her swollen eyes, Ntokozo Mbatha believed she would get protection from the police but to her shock, she was sent away to face more abuse.

“Go and talk things through,” a police officer told her when she went to open a case.

Speaking from her home in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, mother of two told ScrollaAfrica, that the police took the abuser into custody and later left her alone with him in a room to sort out their differences.

Ntokozo said that her boyfriend, a taxi owner, assaulted her on Friday, October 8. He said she had disrespected him.

“I was with my sister and friends when he joined us. We took my sister to her house on the other side of Alexandra and on our way back, he pulled over and told me I was disrespecting him,” she said.

When they got to the boyfriend’s house, he became more aggressive.

“He pounded my face as if I was a dangerous animal trying to kill him,” Ntokozo said.

While she was being hit, she feared he would end her life using his two firearms. Ntokozo said that this was not the first time her boyfriend had abused her.

Three months ago, they had an argument at her house. He took her to his house and locked her up and went to get his firearms.

“He came with the firearms and fired a live round at my friends who were trying to defend me, narrowly missing one of them,” she said.

Ntokozo said she went to the Alexandra police station on Friday night to open a case and that was when the officer took them to a room and told them to sort out their fight.

“I walked out and demanded to lay criminal charges against him.”

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele said police are investigating a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH)

Makhubele said the suspect appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court and was released on bail.