Pregnant woman claims police assault led to her unborn child's death
A Seawinds woman recounts the traumatic experience of an alleged police assault that she claims led to the loss of her unborn child.
Image: File Picture: Pexels
A Seawinds woman claims a vicious assault by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in her home has led to the death of her unborn child.
Provincial police and Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) have confirmed they are investigating the case.
The 23-year-old woman, who cannot be named to protect her identity, told the Cape Argus sister publication, Daily Voice that the incident occurred on October 25 at about 5.10am when police officials woke her and her family to search their home for drugs and guns without showing them a warrant.
The distraught woman said she was three-months pregnant at the time, but says that a female officer kicked her in the tummy as she was interrogated.
The resident said the officers became more violent when they asked about drugs and guns allegedly hidden in their home.
She said: “After the female officer helped my mother on the couch she asked me where my brother hides the drugs. I then told her that he does not deal with those things as he is a scholar.
“She smacked me through my face. My mother told her she cannot do that because I am pregnant. She then pushed me and took me upstairs forcefully.
“When we got upstairs she asked me where the guns were. I told her that nobody in the house is a gangster or deals with those kinds of people. She then ordered the other three other officers to assault me.
“After smacking me multiple times she came to me and said I should start talking or they will continue hitting me and she does not care about the child that is in my stomach.
The woman sustained a swollen eye.
Image: Supplied
“I told her that there was nothing. That is when she tied her boots tighter and hit me three times in my stomach and said to me that if I really loved my unborn child I would start talking, the more I told her that there was nothing, she and the three female officers beat me up.”
According to a medical report seen by the Daily Voice it states that the unborn baby passed away after the mom was physically assaulted by police officers.
She explained: “I had an ultrasound three weeks prior to the incident.
“After the incident happened that is when I found out at Retreat day hospital that there was no heartbeat.
“The lady that did the ultrasound said that the heart stopped three days ago, which was on the day of the incident.”
Injures her brother sustained on his leg.
Image: Supplied
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg said that a case of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm was registered at Muizenberg police station on December 11.
Twigg reported: “According to the 23-year-old complainant she was assaulted by police members on October 25, in St Williams Crescent, Seawinds. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made yet.”
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Lizzy Suping said that the case was reported to them and the investigation is underway, however could provide more details on the investigation.
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