IPID Launches Investigation After Woman Found Dead In Upington Police Holding Cell

A 57-year-old woman was discovered dead inside a holding cell at Rosedale Police Station in Upington, prompting an investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

Police encountered the woman shortly after 4am last Wednesday, following a call reporting a person lying on the pavement in Bakenskop Street, Rosedale.

According to IPID, responding officers found the woman unresponsive and transported her to the station, where she was placed in a holding cell.

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Hours later, officers observed that she remained unresponsive and contacted paramedics. Emergency responders declared the woman dead on the scene.

IPID spokesperson Lizzy Shuping confirmed that a postmortem will be carried out in the coming days.

“IPID was notified just after 7am, and the deceased was identified as a 57-year-old coloured female during the processing of the scene by IPID. She allegedly had external injuries to her body.”

IPID Probes Circumstances Surrounding Upington Cell Death

The directorate is now examining the officers’ actions from the time they arrived at the scene to when the woman was placed in custody.

The investigation will also scrutinise the condition of the woman when she was found and whether appropriate medical assistance was sought earlier.

Postmortem Expected to Shed Light on Cause of Death

The forthcoming postmortem is expected to determine the cause of death, which remains unclear.

The directorate will include the findings in its broader inquiry into the events at Rosedale Police Station.

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