It took a video clip of a mere 71 seconds, an opportunistic instance of pornographic voyeurism, to be the culmination of years of police abuse and ill-treatment of detainees. The power of the pen in the form of countless press reports and public complaints, police reports and memoranda in past decades exposing such abuse was no match for the recording.

The images of an obviously naked woman doing 10 'ear-squats' in front of a police officer and then innocently turning away to put on her undergarments and outer clothing, inadvertently to face the photographer and further expose herself, has had an impact on the nation rarely seen in modern times.

The eyes do not lie. News of the video clip aroused the senses and fascinated the imagination. Intrigue reigned and outrage multiplied exponentially. This time, unlike the many times before, there could be no doubt or public denial that the incident had taken place.