Maasdorp’s grandmother threatens to sue

Months after the brutal killing of five-year-old Ingrid Maasdorp, her grandmother, Dolly Maasdorp, has vowed to take legal action against K.W. Von Marees Primary School in Veddersdal, accusing it of negligence that she believes led to the child’s abduction and death.Ingrid, a Grade 0 pupil, was reported missing on 20 March 2025 after being dropped off at school. Her lifeless body was discovered the following day in a tunnel near the A1 road — a discovery that horrified the nation and devastated her family.Now, Maasdorp says she has consulted a lawyer and intends to hold the school accountable for what she calls a failure to ensure the safety of learners.“I went to see a lawyer,” she told Namibian Sun. “There are a few documents being prepared, and the lawyer will submit them to the school soon.”‘If the teacher had been there on time...’According to Maasdorp, her granddaughter was last seen walking away from the school premises with “a tall lady with light skin and a headscarf” on the morning of her disappearance. Witnesses claim the woman was not known to the family.“Who else should I blame? My child was at school,” she said, her voice breaking. “If the teacher had been there on time, this would not have happened. If the school had proper, registered security, this would not have happened.”She added that a security company was only hired after the tragedy.Maasdorp further accused the school of failing to communicate with the family on the day Ingrid went missing.“The school tried to be clever by saying they sent out letters that there would be no school the next day,” she said. “But the Grade 0 pupils never received any letters — they only admitted that later.”Legal letter ignoredMaasdorp said she formally wrote to the school on 7 August 2025, requesting answers and an acknowledgment of receipt. The letter was eventually signed by the acting principal, but a promised response never came.“I gave them seven days to reply,” she said. “They told me that was too little time because they still had to communicate with the regional education director. But two months later, I still haven’t heard back.”The grandmother believes the school’s silence amounts to disregard for the family’s grief and legitimate concerns.“They have never even contacted me,” she said. “Not the school, not the school board — nobody.”Slow police investigationWhile she pursues possible legal action, Maasdorp says the police investigation has been painfully slow.“I only read updates in the newspapers,” she said. “When I call, they just tell me there are no new leads.”She said she learned from the media that nine witness statements had been added to Ingrid’s case file and that investigators were awaiting DNA results from four people of interest.“That’s all we know — what we read in the papers,” she said. “We only hear from investigators when we call them ourselves.”Demand for accountabilityFor Maasdorp, justice remains elusive, but her determination is unwavering.“Proper security could have prevented this. Someone must be held accountable,” she said. “Who else should I blame? My child was at school.”Her call for accountability comes as the country continues to grapple with the string of child killings in the former “Tuindorp” area, including those of Ingrid Maasdorp, Roswinds Fabianu (6) and Beyoncé Kharuxas (15) — a series of crimes that has left Namibia shaken and demanding stronger child protection measures. — aurelia@nmh-hub.com.na

Maasdorp’s grandmother threatens to sue

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-15

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Maasdorp’s grandmother threatens to sue

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-15

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