Mark Micallef
Victim helped to reinstate convicted sergeant
The French woman at the centre of a police assault incident last year had defended the sergeant involved and urged the authorities not to dismiss him, saying he was a "good man, and a good Christian".
In a letter sent to the Public Service Commission (PSC), ahead of its decision over Sergeant David Sant's fate, Catherine Sophie Pernot Sprangers said that she had become friends with the officer and that he should not be made to pay further for the mistake. The officer made the headlines after video footage of him kneeing the 56-year-old woman in the chest appeared in the media.
The incident, which took place on May 10, 2007, had initially gone unreported. But when the story broke, he was charged and received a four-month prison sentence on July 10 after being found guilty of slightly injuring the woman. Following an appeal in October last year, the jail term was suspended for a year.
The Sunday Times revealed last week that two months later he was reinstated and assigned regular duties.
The decision was taken by the PSC, a constitutionally-enshrined body which decides on such matters. Once the case was concluded, the Police Commissioner followed standard procedure and asked the PSC for direction. Sgt Sant was suspended after being charged and subsequently interdicted after being convicted in July last year. Following the appeal, a spokesman for the commission told The Sunday Times that the PSC had deliberated on the charge as well as the sentence and comments made by the appeal judge - Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano.
After considering all the circumstances, it recommended that the sergeant be reinstated but that his wage be reduced by one increment for a year. The wage he would have been entitled to while he was interdicted (had he been cleared of the charges) was also withheld and he was also given a formal warning of dismissal. However, the commission also took into consideration the letter by Ms Pernot Sprangers, who stressed that she had become friends with the sergeant since the incident.
She also said she was convinced that the assault was a fluke which did not reflect the sergeant's nature - echoing the testimony of his colleagues in court.
Ms Pernot Sprangers also wrote to The Sunday Times criticising the newspaper for carrying the story about Sgt Sant's reinstatement.
The incident, which had taken place in broad daylight outside Baystreet, St George's Bay, in May last year, developed after Sgt Sant had asked the woman to reverse her car in order to help clear a traffic jam that was developing.
She refused, and started hooting the horn. There was a communication problem between the two and the woman continued to hoot. He tried to arrest her but as he opened the car's door, Ms Pernot Sprangers started pushing him and he eventually kneed her.
The story of Sgt Sant's reinstatement stirred mixed reactions with many insisting that the woman was out of line and that he had paid a high price for his mistake, while others viewed the fact that he could be returned to the beat as scandalous.
Nonetheless a senior police official who spoke on condition of anonymity acknowledged that the sergeant's reinstatement had attracted criticism.
"There is a lot of sympathy for Sgt Sant, because the case was quite particular, but we're getting too much bad press and it doesn't look good that his reinstatement happened so soon... even if both him and his family went through a lot."
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l borg
Sep 8th 2008, 00:35
I WAS ONE OF THOSE THAT WERE CRITICAL OF THE POLICE MAN AND THE ASSAULT
HOWEVER SINCE THE FRENCH WOMEN FORGAVE HIM AND THEY ARE NOW FRIENDS THAT WHAT MATTERS MOST AND THE CASE IS CLOSED
ALSO NO HUMAN IS PREFECT AND ANYONE SOMETIMES OVER REACTS
susan galea
Sep 7th 2008, 23:09
It did seem at the time that there was more to this story than was superficially apparent. I remember a certain Amanda Mallia sounding off about the 'disgraceful event' and how this lad should be dealt with summarily in no uncertain terms. It is all very well being reactionary, but without being fully apprised of the facts you do end being foolish.
John cassar
Sep 7th 2008, 22:57
His actions are not correct in anyway. As from what is stated, the woman failed to follow his directive. If this was followed in the first instance, highly likely this incident may not have occurred. If the officer slightly placed his knee upon her, that was wrong. In the heat of the moment one can lose one's rational. Imagine if a baton was used, then all hell would have broken out with the claims of police brutality. All those who ridicule should be given exposure to what can happen on the beat!
D. A . Agius
Sep 7th 2008, 22:49
Quoting the article: "She also said she was convinced that the assault was a fluke which did not reflect the sergeant's nature - echoing the testimony of his colleagues in court"
On whose part was the fluke? I have been saying for a whole year: LOOK at the video, see the kick and the reaction of the woman. If he had hit her she would have flown to the other side of the car, not lied down gracefully!
Second thing, when the ambulance came, she refused medical assistance.
Come on, let's just say that the sergeant has had his life made miserable on the basis of a single lapse of reason! On the same basis, three quarters of the politicians around should have been thrown to the history books years ago by not acting to what they have spoken!
As in a previous comment, whoever has never made mistakes, please step forward. Whoever believes that he's as perfect as god or anything else, step forward. If this was the case is some other "civilised" country, instead of waiting for some 15 minutes for a police woman, she might have been handcuffed, taken out by force and charged!
J Oatmon
Sep 7th 2008, 16:05
@ A lennon
Forget Christian forgiveness (or any other forgiveness), this was not a mistake or an accident - this was pure agression by a so called professional on an older woman, by someone who is duty bound to uphold the law,
He should be booted out of the police force now; and as for the excuses given as some sort of justification, these are just very feeble excuses, that no sensible person should consider as justification.
Police brutality is not excusable.
L Debono
Sep 7th 2008, 15:40
The movie shows the following –
1 - Assault.
2 - It can also be interpreted as BRUTE FORCE to complete an arrest.
A member of the police force is a professional but that certainly wasn't a professional way to conduct his duty. Is that how an arrest on an elderly woman is taught at the academy? Even thinking of doing what Sgt Sant did is prohibitive. He was "under pressure" because of some traffic congestion and decided to vent out on the French lady.
Is the sergeant fit to operate in the police force again? Has he gone for an assessment (never mind the 4 months in jail)? Is that all the pressure he could take that day before taking it on the old women?
A lennon
Sep 7th 2008, 15:40
Not a lot of Christian forgiveness in the comments so far. Just people who act as judge and jury on the strength of the newspaper stories. Or perhaps they just dislike authority and want to destroy a man for sport.
Kevin Zammit
Sep 7th 2008, 14:06
He must go ...
Albert Spiteri
Sep 7th 2008, 12:29
"There is a lot of sympathy for Sgt Sant, ... even if both he and his family went through a lot." What a load of dish wash! The officer got a jail sentence for abusing his authority and committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent, that jail sentence was suspended on appeal, then against all procedures and all common sense, he was reinstated in his old job. I can hardly think of anything more absurd.
What the French woman said had absolutely nothing to do with the charges and the eventual guilt of this man. It was the woman’s prerogative to forgive and forget and she definitely did right. Decent civilized human beings do that. However, this man is unfit to be police officer. Pure abuse of power by a police officer over a victim who also happens to be an elderly weak and defenseless woman. What a banana republic we live in! Shame! Political strings galore!