A Lavender Hill couple wants justice after they were allegedly attacked by train security guards and arrested after trying to protect three teen girls from being assaulted by a man.
The couple say they were choked until they nearly passed out, and were slapped, punched, beaten and dragged on the ground.
Shakeena Hendricks, 24, and her husband Yusuf, 40, have been married for just over a month.
The two have started a takkie business and had orders worth about R12 000 to deliver to clients for Eid.
She says on Sunday, 2 June, she and her husband were on a 3pm train from Cape Town on their way home with their merchandise when they noticed the girls being attacked.
“Those girls were crying from this man who decided to smack around school children.
“I should hope that when I have children, a stranger would protect my children from strangers hurting them too. That is all we did,” an angry Shakeena says.
“I called the security guard to come help the girls and she was rude to us, saying the children deserved to be smacked. My husband went to stop the man from hitting the three girls. There were a lot of people on the train, but nobody did anything.”
She says the security guard pushed Yusuf, saying he should leave the man alone.
“She pushed his head back and hit him in his face and I got angry and hit her and I broke her nose,” says Shakeena.
BLOOD: Shakeena’s bloody clothes
The brawl ended when the train was stopped between the Koeberg and Maitland stations and the police came on board and arrested her and Yusuf on charges of assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm.
“They aimed their firearms at us. I was terrified and I screamed. Nobody even helped us,” adds Shakeena.
The couple were held at Maitland SAPS holding cells for two days before they appeared briefly in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and released on bail.
She says last Wednesday, they celebrated their first Eid together as a married couple, but had a horrible time.
“Prasa must pay for this trauma we went through,” Shakeena said angrily. My husband and I were humiliated for protecting children. My face and body are sore. Yusuf has bruising and a lot of pain from the blows to his head.”
She says all their merchandise had been returned to them on Thursday “too late for Eid” and they intend on laying counter-charges.
Metrorail spokesperson Riana Scott confirmed they were aware of the incident.
“The matter is a legal one; each party will have an opportunity to state their case as the law runs its course,” she says.