Three traditional nurses charged with the attempted murder of a 22-year-old man are expected to appear in the Lady Grey Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
The three men, aged between 23 and 35, were arrested after allegations that an initiate was badly assaulted in one of the initiation schools in Lady Grey at the beginning of December.
“The 22-year-old victim was hospitalised in ICU after sustaining serious burn wounds and several injuries in various parts of his body. An investigation led to the arrest of three suspects,” Eastern Cape police spokesperson warrant officer Majola Nkohli said.
He said the arrests were among many that were effected in the province, as part of tightening the police’s grip on criminal elements for contravening the Customary Initiation Act 2 of 2021, within the practice of traditional circumcision.
“To date, police have arrested at least 80 people (among those were 16 women, who were detained for allowing minors as young as 13-years-old to undergo this rite of passage). Other suspects were arrested for crimes ranging from illegal circumcision to murder.”
He said the teams that are operating in the eight districts of the province rescued around 175 initiates from illegal initiation schools, and destroyed several illegal initiation schools.
The Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene has applauded the all round efforts from the teams in ensuring that those who are not complying with the law are brought to book.
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