How low can you go? Robbing the bodies of the dead or dying at accident scenes or the sites of major tragedies is absolutely reprehensible — it is something most people find impossible to comprehend.
What kind of human being looks at a badly injured man, woman or child and instead of rushing to help, callously robs them of anything of value while they are lying trapped and in immense pain, or even dying?
Anyone who can do something this vile has no moral compass, and not even a smidgen of humanity, and should face the harshest of consequences.
This weekend, a young survivor of the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy told how he was robbed of his shoes, watch and hat by thugs who took him for dead as he lay trapped between the bodies of youngsters who had collapsed and died at the East London drinking spot.
The grade 11 pupil, whose foot was injured, said as he was trying to free himself from the bodies that had fallen on top of him, some men came over to where he lay trapped.
“I was kicked and someone held his foot on my chest,” the badly traumatised youngster told the Daily Dispatch.
“I screamed ndicela nindincede [please help me], but no-one came. They started robbing me of my watch, hat and shoes.”
He lost consciousness and woke up in hospital later.
Police say they are investigating complaints of robbery on the night 21 youngsters aged between 13 and 17 died.
Photographs that have appeared online also showed the bodies of children lying inside the tavern without shoes.
It is sickening to think that in the midst of such an enormous tragedy, there were heartless criminals casually walking around and stripping the victims of their meagre possessions.
These people have no place in a normal society. They must be tracked down, prosecuted and locked away for a long time.
Robbing the dead or injured is stomach-churning stuff and cannot be ignored.
It is something that has become more prevalent over the years and needs specialised police attention. Let’s hope this disgusting crime gets it.
HeraldLIVE
Robbing the dead or badly injured a truly shocking crime
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Image: MARK ANDREWS
How low can you go? Robbing the bodies of the dead or dying at accident scenes or the sites of major tragedies is absolutely reprehensible — it is something most people find impossible to comprehend.
What kind of human being looks at a badly injured man, woman or child and instead of rushing to help, callously robs them of anything of value while they are lying trapped and in immense pain, or even dying?
Anyone who can do something this vile has no moral compass, and not even a smidgen of humanity, and should face the harshest of consequences.
This weekend, a young survivor of the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy told how he was robbed of his shoes, watch and hat by thugs who took him for dead as he lay trapped between the bodies of youngsters who had collapsed and died at the East London drinking spot.
The grade 11 pupil, whose foot was injured, said as he was trying to free himself from the bodies that had fallen on top of him, some men came over to where he lay trapped.
“I was kicked and someone held his foot on my chest,” the badly traumatised youngster told the Daily Dispatch.
“I screamed ndicela nindincede [please help me], but no-one came. They started robbing me of my watch, hat and shoes.”
He lost consciousness and woke up in hospital later.
Police say they are investigating complaints of robbery on the night 21 youngsters aged between 13 and 17 died.
Photographs that have appeared online also showed the bodies of children lying inside the tavern without shoes.
It is sickening to think that in the midst of such an enormous tragedy, there were heartless criminals casually walking around and stripping the victims of their meagre possessions.
These people have no place in a normal society. They must be tracked down, prosecuted and locked away for a long time.
Robbing the dead or injured is stomach-churning stuff and cannot be ignored.
It is something that has become more prevalent over the years and needs specialised police attention. Let’s hope this disgusting crime gets it.
HeraldLIVE
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