“It might not be illegal for a male police officer to restrain a female”

The Chair of the Justice Project SA says it might not be illegal for a male police officer to restrain a female.

This after a video surfaced showing a woman being held down by Johannesburg Metro Police Officers while a nurse draws blood. The video played out in a dilapidated container.

Chair of the Justice Project, Howard Dembovsky explains: “What we see in that video is a lot more than just male traffic officers holding down a female to have blood drawn. We see a woman who is purporting to be a nurse who’s not even wearing surgical gloves trying to take a blood sample from that woman. Can a male restrain a female for the purpose of blood to be drawn from that person? It’s an interesting question of law and the answer to it is I actually don’t know.”

The video was taken at the weekend at the Douglasdale police station and has since gone viral on social media.

JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar says although the police officers acted well within their rights, an investigation will be conducted to determine the level of force used as well as the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“Section 37 of the CPA is clear to be able to restrain an individual for the drawing of a blood sample or a breath sample in the case of drunken driving. There will be an investigation to determine the level of force used, we don’t know what was the circumstances are. The resistance of the drawing of blood is not something new. It just so happens that this particular incident was captured on video.”