N$2.2 million lawsuit filed over Maasdorp kidnapping, murder
The grieving grandmother of Ingrid Maasdorp, a five-year-old girl who was kidnapped and murdered last year at Okahandja, has filed a N$2.2 million lawsuit against the Namibian government, alleging negligence.
Court papers filed in the High Court of Namibia show that Dolly Maasdorp instituted civil action against the state, claiming emotional damages and the cost of psychological treatment following the death of her granddaughter.
According to the combined summons lodged in Windhoek earlier this month, Ingrid was a Grade 0 learner at K W von Maree Combined School in Okahandja in 2025.
The lawsuit states that on 20 March 2025, the child was allegedly kidnapped by unknown individuals while on the school premises. Her body was discovered the following day.
A post-mortem later confirmed that the child had been raped and strangled before her body was dumped, prompting police to open cases of rape, murder and defeating the course of justice.
The tragedy was compounded by claims from the family that there was no school on the day Ingrid was dropped off.
Her grandmother said parents were not informed that classes had been suspended due to rain ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
The family believes that better communication from the school might have prevented the child from being sent there that day.
The Namibian Police launched a murder investigation and questioned several persons of interest, while forensic examinations were conducted.
However, months after the killing, authorities had not announced any major breakthrough, leaving the case unresolved and fuelling public frustration.
Maasdorp, who describes herself as the child’s maternal grandmother and kinship caregiver under the Child Care and Protection Act, argues that the state failed in its legal duty to provide a safe learning environment for learners.
In the particulars of claim, the plaintiff contends that the school — operated by the government through the education ministry — had staff and security personnel responsible for controlling access to the premises and protecting learners.
The summons alleges that these measures failed, resulting in the child’s abduction and death.
“The defendant was negligent in that it failed in its statutory duties to provide a learning environment free of violence, including kidnapping and harm,” the court papers state.
The claim further argues that the school principal, teachers and other support staff were acting within the scope of their employment at the time, rendering the state vicariously liable for their alleged omissions.
Maasdorp says she suffered severe emotional trauma upon learning of her granddaughter’s death.
She is seeking N$2 million in damages for emotional pain and suffering, as well as N$200 000 for psychological counselling, bringing the total claim to N$2.2 million.
Her legal practitioner, Norman Tjombe of Tjombe Incorporated in Windhoek, filed the summons on 12 March.
The government now has 21 days to indicate whether it intends to defend the matter. If no notice of intention to defend is filed, the plaintiff may seek default judgment.
