Athlone Police Officer Fined R6K For Assaulting Elderly Woman In Ongoing Abuse Claims

A former Athlone police sergeant, Giovanni Gabriels, has once again dodged a prison sentence—this time by paying a R6 000 fine after being found guilty of assaulting an elderly woman. The conviction stems from a 2018 incident in which Gabriels allegedly attacked Veronica Franciscus, a retired nurse from Kewtown, and her son Kyle.

Franciscus told the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that the altercation began when SAPS officers arrived at her home and requested Kyle to open the garage. As the family’s pit bull ran out, the pair shut the garage door to prevent any chaos. Gabriels, reportedly enraged by the move, threw Franciscus to the ground and pepper-sprayed her.

Last Friday, the Athlone Magistrates Court handed down a guilty verdict for common assault. Gabriels, now stationed in Lambert’s Bay, was given the option to pay the fine or serve six months behind bars.

Prior Conviction Raises Alarm Over ‘Preferential Treatment’

Advocate Leon Fieties, who represents Franciscus, expressed outrage at what he calls a pattern of lenient treatment for police officers guilty of assault.

“The sore point is that he was transferred from Athlone police station to Lambert’s Bay police station where he is still conducting policing services within the community,” said Fieties.

“So they are transferring the problem, but he is a brutal person and there is a trend of him assaulting people. The law should be applied equally to all citizens, but unfortunately it looks like police officers who are accused of assault are facing preferential treatment.”

Fieties also revealed that Gabriels had been convicted for a similar offence just last year, for which he paid a R5 000 fine.

Victim Speaks: ‘I Have Peace, But Justice Feels Unbalanced’

Despite the ordeal, Franciscus has chosen to forgive her attacker, though she questioned the fairness of the court’s ruling.

“I can’t judge him and I have peace with him and thank God that I can now sleep. Whatever the judgement was, I am happy that things got so far,” she said. “But I do feel sorry for him as a person, it is on him.”

Fieties said he is now pursuing civil action to help his client claim damages, citing the prolonged duration of the case.

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