Cape Town – Startling statistics on police brutality were presented at Parliament on Tuesday.

MPs heard that:

* Cases of police brutality leapt by more than 300 percent in the past decade, from 416 during 2001/2002 to 1 722 cases by 2011/2012.

* Of the 720 deaths reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate in 2011/2012, one in five involved police criminality.

* Only one out of every 50 people who experienced or witnessed police abuse reported it.

* The SAPS was facing civil claims totalling R1.1 billion related to shooting incidents, and assault cases of more than R800 million.

For more details go to www.iol.co.za