North West man awarded over R500 000 after police assault left him with hearing loss
A North West man who was assaulted by a police officer inside a police station has been awarded more than R500 000 in damages after the High Court found the attack left him permanently scarred, both physically and emotionally.
Acting Judge S.W. Malane ruled that the Minister of Police must pay R574 385 in total damages to 25-year-old Jan Moodi, who was throttled, struck, trampled and dragged during a brutal assault at Stella Police Station on 7 January 2022.
The judgment, delivered on 15 September 2025, detailed how the unprovoked attack caused Moodi lasting trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder and partial hearing loss in his left ear.
The assault at Stella Police Station
Moodi and seven friends had been stopped while travelling in an unlicensed car driven by a man without a driver’s licence. They were instructed to follow the officers to the police station.
However, once inside, an officer who had not been part of the roadside stop launched a violent assault on Moodi.
According to court records, “He was throttled and repeatedly struck with open hands on the left side of his face and ear. He was also pulled by his clothes. This resulted in his white Nike T-shirt being torn.”
The court heard that Moodi fell to the ground during the beating. “When he was on the ground, the police officer trampled on his chest with booted feet.” He was then dragged to a back room and struck again in full view of two witnesses — a male officer in uniform and a woman in plain clothes.
“Talking too much”
Moodi later testified that when he tried to lay charges, a policeman brushed him off, claiming he was in a meeting. He realised his wristwatch had also been damaged in the scuffle.
His father, Simon Pieterse, told the court he went to the station after learning of the attack. When he confronted the officer, the policeman reportedly replied that his son had been assaulted because he was “talking too much”.
Pieterse confirmed his son’s T-shirt was torn, his wristwatch broken and that visible injuries were evident.
Pain, trauma and medical evidence
The day after the assault, Moodi went to Joe Morolong Hospital in Vryburg, where doctors treated pain in his neck and ear and advised him to keep his eardrum dry.
A friend and witness, Melvin Min, testified that after the incident Moodi “could not turn his head and had chest pains. He also had lost hearing on his left ear”.
Medical experts confirmed the lasting damage.
- Clinical psychologist Moyra Tsambos diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, describing Moodi’s condition as “anxiety with constant stings of consternation with a high degree of ambiguity and bitterness”.
- Professor Katijah Khoza-Shangase, an audiologist, found that Moodi suffers from “a slight mild sensorineural hearing loss” requiring a R30 000 hearing aid, with ongoing costs of R2 000 per year and refitting every five years.
Moodi testified he now struggles with insomnia, stress, flashbacks and mood changes. “Furthermore, he realised that he is now short-tempered when this was not the case before the incident,” the court noted.
No apology
Despite the severity of the assault, neither the officer involved nor the police hierarchy ever apologised.
Moodi told the court he later encountered the same officer at a tavern. A meeting was arranged through a third party, but the policeman “refused to apologise and instead denounced himself”.
Judge Malane remarked: “It appears from the evidence of the plaintiff that an apology from the involved officer would have gone a long way in the process of recovery of the plaintiff.”
Court’s ruling
In awarding damages, Malane underlined the seriousness of the attack, stressing that it took place “inside a police station, a place where it was expected that a member of the public would receive protection”.
“The assault itself was meted out by an officer in uniform,” the judge added.
Malane said the incident was aggravated by the officer’s colleagues, who witnessed the violence but did nothing to intervene.
Recognising the violation of bodily integrity — which includes both physical and mental harm — the court awarded:
- R80 000 in general damages for pain, suffering, insult and loss of enjoyment of life.
- R454 385 for future medical expenses, including audiology and psychological treatment.
“The above amount shall attract interest at the prescribed rate from the date of this judgment to the date of payment,” Malane ruled. The Minister of Police must also pay legal costs on Scale C.
The ruling highlights once again the high cost of police brutality in South Africa — not only to victims like Moodi but also to the state, which continues to face multimillion-rand lawsuits for misconduct within its ranks.
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