Sea-winds resident accuses SAPS officers of brutal attack in home raid
Reporter – Felicity Jooste
STEENBERG:- A 23-year-old woman from Seawinds alleges that a brutal assault by South African Police Service (SAPS) officers during a pre-dawn home search caused the death of her unborn child.
Both provincial police and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) have confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
The woman, whose identity is being protected, recounted to CCN that the incident took place on 25 October 2025 around 5:10am. She claims officers entered her family home in St Williams Crescent searching for drugs and firearms, without presenting a search warrant. At three months pregnant with her first child, the woman says the situation escalated when a female officer began questioning her about her brother’s alleged involvement in illegal activities.
She alleges: “The officer slapped me across the face after I insisted my brother, a school learner, had nothing to do with drugs. When my mother intervened, mentioning my pregnancy, the officer forcefully dragged me upstairs.
“Up there, demands for information about hidden guns continued. I repeatedly denied any knowledge, stressing that no one in our home is involved in gang activity.
“That’s when she allegedly instructed three other officers – all female – to join in the assault. They slapped me repeatedly. The lead officer reportedly warned that she didn’t care about the baby and tightened her boots before kicking me multiple times in the abdomen, saying I’d talk if I truly cared about my child.”
The woman says the beating only stopped when she continued to profess ignorance.
A medical document reviewed by CCN indicates the foetal heartbeat ceased shortly after the alleged incident. The woman had a normal ultrasound weeks earlier but, days later at Retreat Day Hospital, was informed there was no heartbeat – estimated to have stopped around the time of the raid.
SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm was opened at Muizenberg Police Station on 11 December 2025.
“The complaint alleges assault by police members on 25 October 2025. The matter is under investigation, with no arrests made at this stage,” Twigg stated.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping verified that the allegation has been reported to the directorate and an independent probe is in progress, though no further details were available.
The allegations highlight ongoing concerns about police conduct during operations in high-crime communities on the Cape Flats.
