[imagesource:creativecommons]

Gauteng police say they acted on “reasonable grounds” when they arrested a 15-year-old girl on suspicion that she was an illegal immigrant.

The teenager from Hillbrow in Johannesburg was held in police holding cells after she failed to produce an ID to prove she was not an illegal foreigner.

Gauteng police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the police acted on reasonable grounds when they took the teen into custody as they were permitted by the law to do so.

“Section 41 of the Immigration Act requires any person approached on reasonable grounds by a police officer or immigration officer to identify themselves either as a citizen or as a person lawfully present in the Republic,” Nevhuhulwi said.

“The police acted on that basis. The person in question was stopped and requested to be searched and identify themselves, and she was allegedly not cooperative hence she was taken to the police station.”

The grade 9 pupil told Sowetan a group of female officers demanded to search her without giving her any explanation. During the search, she said one of the officers touched her inappropriately and when she pushed her away, she was accused of having an attitude.