Horror at S. African Police Brutality Tape

Nov. 9 -- The video horrified a nation.

For about an hour, handcuffed black prisoners in South Africa screamed and begged for mercy as four German Shepherds repeatedly mauled them in a field while police officers laughed, cheered and sometimes offered candid comments to the camera.

The victims, believed to be illegal immigrants, were beaten and kicked as they tried to fend off the dogs who fiercely savaged them at the urging of their handlers. Eventually, the dogs were pulled off.

But it was only a temporary break before the dogs were allowed to attack the prisoners again and again.

The incident, which was recorded as part of a dog-training exercise in South Africa in 1998 has highlighted the racism that remains entrenched in the South African police force six years after the end of apartheid.

Hours after South African viewers watched the video clip unveiled in a story on state television, the network reported it received more than 15,000 calls in 12 hours from viewers upset by the images.

Suspects Denied Bail

At a Pretoria court today, six white policemen believed to be responsible for the incident, were denied bail at a hearing where they faced attempted murder charges.

The court ordered the six men be held separately in police custody until Nov. 17 when bail will be considered.

Prosecutor Christo Roberts today said the policemen were provisionally charged with attempted murder, but added that inquiries were underway and detailed charges would be formulated later.

There were reports that investigators had leads on some of the victims. Before the hearings, police director Sharon Schutte said a source had reported to police that one or more of the victims was in South Africa and might be willing to testify.

But she stressed the police had not followed up on the leads. “I want to stress this is not confirmed. We have not spoken to anyone yet,” she said.

Horrified Viewers

South African viewers and the press have reacted with horror to the video.