Police officer under arrest for allegedly killing girlfriend with service gun

Murder

Cape Town – A police sergeant from Eldorado Park is reportedly hospitalised under police guard after allegedly killing his girlfriend, Chesnay Patricia Keppler, a 22-year-old Gauteng crime prevention warden, while on duty.

According to reports, the sergeant, under the influence of alcohol, visited Keppler at her home and forcibly took her to his police vehicle during a commotion witnessed by her mother and friends.

The situation escalated when Keppler and her friends resisted and locked themselves inside the house, Times Live reported.

The sergeant allegedly fired shots through a kitchen window, fatally wounding Keppler.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

The officer fled the scene but later attempted to take his own life as authorities moved to arrest him.

“He is in hospital under police guard. The officer is facing a murder charge and will make his first appearance at the Protea magistrate’s court on December 30,” the report quoted  Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) as saying.

According to criminologist Professor Anni Hesselink from the University of Limpopo, South Africa has one of the world’s highest rates of gender-based violence (GBV), deeply rooted in historical inequalities, substance abuse, and societal norms that devalue women, The Citizen reported.

Despite government campaigns, GBV remains pervasive, driven by cycles of childhood exposure to violence and systemic inequality.

“Alcohol and drug abuse, disrespect for women, treating women as possessions and objects, disregard for women and children’s rights and inequality of women have become the norm in some SA cultures,” the report quoted Hesselink as saying.

Experts urge accountability, stricter enforcement of firearm regulations, and national efforts to address GBV at its roots.

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