British policeman saves woman from a 60-strong angry mob he feared would rape her
'My guess was that they’d rape her and there was a pretty high probability they’d kill her' - Inspector Kelvin Shipp
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A British policeman serving in South Sudan with the United Nations has saved a woman from an angry mob of 60 people smashing up her car.
Inspector Kelvin Shipp, 55, intervened after the gang started agitating around a female colleague's car when it collided with a motorcycle.
At the time of the incident, Insp Shipp had been serving a year-long deployment with the UN.
He had been driving to to UN House on the outskirts of Juba, the capital of South Sudan when he witnessed the collision and the ensuing anger.
The father-of-three, from Waterlooville in Hampshire, told The News in Portsmouth: “I thought ‘I can’t leave her here, if they get her out of the car she’ll get probably quite a beating’.
“My guess was that they’d rape her and there was a pretty high probability they’d kill her - and it was all over a minor accident.They were banging their fists on the windows, they were on the bonnet."
A Dutch officer joined him and the pair started to push through the baying crowd before Insp Shipp's Dutch colleague was targeted by six people and forced to run away.
The mob continued to batter the car and smashed the windscreen while the Hampshire policeman dragged and pushed people away.
Insp Shipp said he counted himself lucky to not be targeted throughout the violent confrontation.
He has been awarded a Chief Constable's commendation from Hampshire Police for his actions.
South Sudan is the world's youngest nation, gaining its independence in 2011. It has been devastated by civil war since 2013 with mass hunger and poverty rampant.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments