The revelations at Malkerns Industrial School follow reports in 2013 that warders at the same juvenile jail assaulted children systematically for more than five hours.
The latest revelations
are contained in an inspection report called Malkerns Industrial School
Students Violence Probe which was leaked
to the Observer on Saturday newspaper
in Swaziland.
The newspaper reported
there was violence at Malkerns Industrial School on 18 June 2013, when one of
the boys fought and stabbed another offender with a sharpened toothbrush.
The newspaper reported,
‘The aggressor was instantly beaten without a hearing and all boys known to be
his friends were handcuffed and beaten in the still of the night.’
It added, ‘The
next morning all teachers were ordered to conduct a strip search, apparently an
order coming from the commissioner himself who is alleged to have said ‘uma
kufanele, isende lomntwana alibanjwe’ (squeeze their testicles).’
The Observer said the investigation reported
there was sporadic use of force at the juvenile industrial school dormitories, ‘which
is protected by the head-teacher and remains unreported mainly because the
administration also participates in the violence’.
The Observer reported that
female correction officers, ‘inserted their fingers into the girls’ private parts using one glove on
all the students, exposing them to risks of contracting infectious diseases’.
The newspaper
also reported that one child, ‘was beaten such that he urinated and was later
forced to drink his urine.
‘“I drank it
because of the beatings I received,” the boy reportedly said.
Another child
said, ‘My hands and testicles were pressed by the officers who were wearing
their boots I thought they were killing me. My only sin was that they found
tattoos on my body.’
The Observer reported another child said, ‘I
was bleeding from the ears after I was kicked all over the body by the officers.’
This is not the
first time violent behaviour by warders has hit the headlines. In 2013 it was
reported that children at the industrial school were systematically
assaulted for more than five hours by warders.
Some of the children were forced to strip naked for
beatings by the officers who used belts, sneakers, open hands and feet to
assault them all over their bodies.
The
Swazi News newspaper reported at the time that 15 officers were
involved and more than two thirds of the 430 pupils at the school were
assaulted from 8.30 am until after 2.00 pm, during one day.
One child interviewed by the newspaper said, ‘They were
using belts, open hands and an All-Star (sneaker). We were ordered to strip
naked before being assaulted all over the body, indiscriminately.’
The attack was also described by another as being worse than police torture known as ‘lishubhu’.
Another said, ‘Besi bulawa (we were being murdered).’
When asked why they were assaulted, one pupil responded,
‘Watsi lomunye thishela basi faka luvalo (one of the teachers told us that they
were instilling fear).’
The pupils said they did not report the matter to the police because they feared being victimised.
See also
KIDS WHO
COMMIT NO CRIME LOCKED UP
BOY, 12,
JAILED FOR INSULTING GRANNY
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