[WARNING: Article contains graphic images]
Cape Town - The family of a Cape Town Bee researcher who was assaulted by a Shell Garage co-owner is asking NPA’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicolette Bell to drop a counter charge against her and has begun an online petition which has already received close to 2 000 signatures.
Bee researcher, Jenny Cullinan is currently on trial while she faces a charge of common assault which was made by Simon’s Town businessman Neel Ramlall, who co-owns Shell garage in Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town.
Ramlall was found guilty of common assault a year ago and was ordered to pay a R1 200 fine or face four months imprisonment.
Eric Ntabazalila of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), told the Weekend Argus they were not at liberty to comment when approached about the online petition.
“The NPA is not in a position to comment on this matter at this stage as the accused has made representations to the Office of the DPP (Directorate of Public Prosecutions),” he said.
Earlier this year, Cullinan’s sister, Kerry Cullinan penned a letter to Bell’s office calling for the charge to be dropped and made them aware of the petition and action group which they had begun.
Cullinan is expected to be back in court in August 2024.
“We, the 120-strong ‘Justice for Jenny’ group, believe that in pursuing this case, the NPA is potentially complicit in the persecution of a victim of gender-based violence and have organised a petition calling for charges to be dropped,” she wrote.
The attack took place on July 31 2021 when Cullinan was hit on the head with a sharpened stick by Ramlall which resulted in her having to receive stitches in the back of her head and dental surgery for a cracked tooth.
On the day of the incident, Cullinan had been present at SANParks near the entrance when she was approached by Ramlall, who came and introduced himself, asking whether fynbos could be propagated from seeds.
Ramlall’s wife had been carrying plants at the time.
Cullinan then alerted Ramlall that removing plants from SANParks land was not allowed.
She had turned around to leave and was struck on the back of the head repeatedly with a sharpened stick Ramlall had been carrying.
Cullinan opened a case with police and later herself was arrested and charged after Ramlall laid a counter charge against her.
He claimed Cullinan had slapped him and told him to “go back to Durban.”
Kerry said her sister was still suffering after the ordeal and now had to face court. “Jenny was attacked by a stranger on a Saturday afternoon in a place she loves.
“SANParks nature reserve is where she does research on bees. It was a terrifying ordeal for her. She has been diagnosed as having PTSD.
“No one concerned with justice can feel that the R1 200 fine that was imposed on Ramlall is justice.
“The fact that he was also able to keep his gun licence is unnerving, particularly as he has not stopped his aggression towards Jenny and said during the court case: ‘In retrospect, I should have poked her eyes out’.”
“I can’t answer how Jenny feels. She is still being prosecuted so is in a vulnerable position and should not comment.
“But certainly, as you can see from the petition that I sent to NPA Head of Prosecutions for the Western Cape, Nicolette Bell, I and hundreds of others feel that this counter-charge… should never have got to court.
“There is not one shred of evidence to support Ramlall’s claim that Jenny came up out of the blue, racially abused him and slapped him. There are no medical records.”
When Weekend Argus called Ramlall’s Simon’s Town’s garage, his office claimed he did not have a cellphone and they were given the reporter’s details but he did not respond.
The petition can be found on the following link: https://chng.it/TnMYf48g