Plans to sue Minister following allegations of torture in St Albans

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Port Elizabeth police have confirmed that charges have been laid at Kabega Park Police Station in respect of a raid by prison authorities at St Albans Prison outside Port Elizabeth last month.

A human rights lawyer from the city Egon Oswald says he represents 115 prisoners who claimed they were tortured during the raid.

He also plans to sue the Minister of Correctional Services and all those involved in the raid in terms of a new act of the Prevention and Combating of Torture of Persons which came into effect last year

"South Africa was basically forced to enact legislation which they shelved with regard to criminalising torture and that is now finally been put through. It has been passed and promulgated and there is an act that specifically criminalises torture, but there has not been any prosecutions on it, because it went through last year . This case presents some good opportunity to test the legislation. We will be suing the minister for damages" he said

The alleged torture is currently being investigated by the Judicial Inspectorate and the Human Rights Commission.