Four people caught stealing apples suffered a bruising punishment after police lined them up against a rock wall and threw their stolen fruit at them.
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It all happened in Theewaterskloof Municipality in South Africa.
Christelle Vosloo, the mayor of the region, has launched an investigation into the incident. She says the video — a copy of which was posted by the Daily Mail — shows punishment that is “inhumane and a gross violation of the safety and dignity of the victims.”
Uniformed police officers in the video are visibly enjoying the punishment, competing for the best hits. The names of the accused have not been released.
Video uploader Kevi van Wyk says he was “upset” by the incident and footage of it, adding, “It is wrong to steal apples but I don’t think this is the way to deal with it. It sends the wrong message.”
Van Wyk also says he has names of three of the officers involved, as well as a second video that shows the moment the officers stripped one of the suspects nude and beat him. That video has not been released.