SAPS denies negligence claims after Lavender Hill shooting
SAPS says officers followed crime-scene protocols after five people were killed and three wounded in a Lavender Hill shooting. The police response follows allegations by ActionSA’s Dereleen James about biological material allegedly left at the scene
A Lavender Hill family in Cape Town has alleged that police failed to properly clear a crime scene after a fatal shooting, leading to the storage of human brain tissue in a domestic fridge. ActionSA Cape Town mayoral candidate and MP Dereleen James claims that police had cleared the scene but left the remains at the location, which the family subsequently collected and stored in a refrigerator.
James stated that this incident highlights a systemic breakdown in the handling of the crime scene, as standard operating procedures require the SAPS Criminal Record Centre (CRC) and Forensic Pathology Services (FPS) to secure and collect forensic evidence and thoroughly clear a scene before releasing it to property owners or relatives.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that crime scene management teams took control of the premises and collected forensic evidence, but noted that they only became aware of the claims after an SABC news broadcast featured James' comments.
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