Horrifying accounts of torture in prison



Allegations of beating and electrocution of prisoners in North West has sparked calls for torture charges to be laid against prison authorities. The alleged assaults are being investigated by human rights lawyers, the Wits Justice Project, police and the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services.Inmates at the Losperfontein prison outside Brits were allegedly beaten with batons, doused in water, electrocuted with tasers and denied medical attention.Dozens of prisoners were apparently tortured for days as warders tried to get information about those who had helped a murderer, serving a life sentence, to escape.The attacks began shortly before Floyd Mabena escaped, apparently when warders got wind of a planned prison break.Things got worse after Mabena escaped, when the prison was placed in lockdown and cells were searched. When inmates demanded to know why they were being prevented from leaving their cells and demanded to speak to prison management, threatening a hunger strike, the assaults intensified.Family of inmates who were injured are demanding that those responsible be brought to justice."My nephew was badly beaten. His ribs are broken. Water was thrown on him and then they Tasered him. For days warders would not allow him to see a doctor," claimed Koos, who asked that his surname not be used for fear of retaliation against his nephew.The Correctional Services Department has refuted the claims, saying it was inmates who carried out the assaults.Sarie Peens, the department spokesman in North West, said: "We would never allow our inmates to be assaulted."An internal investigation is being conducted. It was only five inmates [who were] assaulted and they were assaulted by other inmates. Only one person received stitches."But Clare Ballard of Lawyers for Human Rights said that, after seeing photos of the injuries sustained, it would ensure torture charges were laid.Thato Thobakgale, a lawyer representing the assaulted inmates, said they were gathering information on the assaults and liaising with the police.Gwen Dereymaeker, a researcher at the Civil Society Prison Reform Initiative, said that last year 4203 complaints of assault by officials against inmates were recorded by independent correctional centre monitors. The Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services received 109 such complaints."The response by prison officials to internal disciplinary violations such as having contraband or attempting to escape is unwarranted. It is occurring for a number of possible reasons, including officials being poorly trained, prisons being under-staffed and, most importantly, staff using violence as a means of punishment, which amounts to torture," she said.