The management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Pixley Ka Seme District has welcomed the substantial prison sentence handed down to 18-year-old Chedric Kammies for the brutal assault of a minor.
The Hopetown Magistrates’ Court detailed a harrowing sequence of events that began on the evening of Monday, 10 February 2025. The court heard that the 14-year-old victim was visiting a neighbour in the Hillside area of Hopetown when the accused, Kammies, forcefully dragged her to his residence. There, he subjected her to a severe assault using a belt and a wire, subsequently instructing her to remain silent about the attack.
Following the incident, police were alerted and Kammies was arrested. He was formally charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. However, he was initially released on a warning by the court.
In a brazen act of retaliation for reporting the matter to the authorities, Kammies shortly thereafter returned to the victim’s residence and assaulted her a second time.
This second incident prompted his immediate re-arrest. The Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Frans Louw of the Hopetown Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, then successfully opposed bail. This crucial intervention by Det. Sgt. Louw is credited with preventing any further abuse of the young victim while the case proceeded.
The accused was subsequently found guilty on the charges. The court handed down a sentence of five years’ direct imprisonment. Furthermore, Kammies was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
