A Woodstock family says they’ve been left traumatised after cops allegedly raided their home under false pretences and moered them.
According to the 39-year-old mother of five, who asked not to be named, the incident took place on Sunday, 3 December, while she was out of the country.
She says: “At 11.45am, approximately 20 officers stormed into my home in upper Woodstock in my absence, aggressively demanding entry without any warrant.
“This unwarranted intrusion resulted in the assault of my father, aged 75, my husband, 39, and my five children, aged 17, 15, 11, 10, and a six years old.”
The woman claims cops accused her husband of merting with drugs and ammunition. But nothing was found and no arrests were made.
She adds: “They first told the kids it was for racism. They couldn’t give us a proper explanation as to why they were raiding.”
She says their questions enraged the cops who then allegedly assaulted her family, while her kids were intimidated with their firearms.
The woman explains: “My children, in a state of fear and panic, were confined to a room by a female officer while the male officers subjected my father and husband to physical handling.
“Upon inquiry by my husband regarding the reason for the raid, he was met with physical violence, no factual reason given.
“Our home, a symbol of safety, now bears the scars of injustice, leaving us with a sense of fear and betrayal.”
Pictures sent to the Daily Voice show rooms turned upside down, clothes thrown out of the cupboards and the drawers emptied.
The woman is also accusing cops of stealing from her home, and that her family members’ cellphones were taken and their security cameras tampered with “so there is no evidence”.
She says: “This invasion of privacy led to the ransacking of my home, leaving it in a state of utter disarray and a few personal items gone missing.”
The family has opened a case of theft and police brutality at the Woodstock police station, which has been transferred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for further investigation.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping says: “I can confirm that the matter was reported to IPID and we are investigating it.”
The mom adds the incident has destroyed their trust in the police, saying: “The ruthless actions have shattered our sense of security and trust in the very guardians of law and order. Their brutality has left us emotionally scarred.”
byron.lukas@inl.co.za