Título: Hendrik Verwoerd
Seção: Assassination attempt
Background: Born in the Netherlands, Verwoerd is South Africa's only foreign-born prime minister. He was the second child of Anje Strik and Wilhelmus Johannes Verwoerd; he had an elder brother named Leendert and a younger sister named Lucie. His father was a shopkeeper and a deeply religious man who decided to move his family to South Africa in 1903 because of his sympathy towards the Afrikaner nation in the wake of the Second Boer War. Verwoerd went to a Lutheran primary school in Wynberg, a suburb of Cape Town.

Conteúdo: On 9 April 1960, Verwoerd opened the Union Exposition in Milner Park, Johannesburg, to mark the jubilee of the Union of South Africa. After Verwoerd delivered his opening address, David Pratt, a rich English businessman and farmer from the Magaliesberg, near Pretoria, attempted to assassinate Verwoerd, firing two shots from a .22 pistol at point-blank range, one bullet perforating Verwoerd's right cheek and the second his right ear. Colonel G. M. Harrison, president of the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society, leapt up and knocked the pistol from the gunman's hand. After the pistol fell to the floor, Harrison, with the help of Major Carl Richter, the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard, civilians and another policeman overpowered the gunman. He was taken to the Marshall Square police station and later transferred to the Forensic Medical Laboratory due to his peculiar behaviour. Within minutes of the assassination attempt, Verwoerd--still conscious and blood gushing from his face--was rushed to the nearby Johannesburg Hospital. Two days later, the hospital issued a statement which described his condition as 'indeed satisfactory--further examinations were carried out today and they confirm good expectations. Dr. Verwoerd at present is restful. There is no need for any immediate operation.' Once his condition stabilised, Verwoerd was transferred to a Pretoria Hospital. The neurologists who treated Verwoerd later stated that his escape had been 'absolutely miraculous'. Specialist s

user: Why was there an assassination attempt?

assistant: Pratt claimed he had been shooting 'the epitome of apartheid'. However, in his defence, he stated he only wanted to injure, not kill, Verwoerd.

user: Why did he want to hurt him in any capacity?

assistant: The court accepted the medical reports submitted to it by five different psychiatrists, all of which confirmed that Pratt lacked legal capacity

user: Why couldn't he be held liable?

assistant: five different psychiatrists, all of which confirmed that Pratt lacked legal capacity

user: What else can you tell me about the assassination?

assistant: attempted to assassinate Verwoerd, firing two shots from a .22 pistol at point-blank range, one bullet perforating Verwoerd's right cheek and the second his right ear.

user: Was anyone else involved?

assistant: Colonel G. M. Harrison, president of the Witwatersrand Agricultural Society, leapt up and knocked the pistol from the gunman's hand.

user: How was he arrested?

assistant: the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard, civilians and another policeman overpowered the gunman. He was taken to the Marshall Square police station

user: What happened after that?

assistant: and later transferred to the Forensic Medical Laboratory due to his peculiar behaviour.

user: Did he undergo surgery?

assistant: Dr. Verwoerd at present is restful. There is no need for any immediate operation.'

user: What did they do to him?

assistant: Specialist surgeons were called in to remove the bullets.

user: How long did it take for him to recover?

assistant: He returned to public life on 29 May, less than two months after the shooting.