Why police officers commit suicide/femicide

First Take SA

A professor in the Department of Safety and Security Management at the Tshwane University of Technology says the issue of members of the police who turn the gun on their families is often cultivated by the culture of secrecy within the police service. Professor Kholofelo Mothibi says much needs to be done to address some of the factors that contribute to officers reacting violently towards those close to them. This comes as the town of Thohoyandou in Limpopo reel after a 42-year-old police sergeant allegedly shot dead his wife before turning the gun on himself. Months before that, a 45-year-old Bela-Bela Municipality traffic officer allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend before also turning the gun on himself. The ongoing case of a female former police officer who is charged with the murder and attempted murder of close family members has also brought this issue into sharp focus.