IPID confirms complaint over alleged assault of teen at Philippi station

A picture showing the cast on the teen's armed after the alleged abuse at Philippi police station.

A Hanover Park mother is angry after her 17-year-old son’s arm was broken during an alleged assault by police officers while he was held at Philippi police station.

Charlene Grant said that on 5 October 2026, her son was standing in the street with a friend watching TikTok videos when members of the Anti-Gang Unit called him into a neighbour’s house.

The officers later searched the family home and allegedly found ammunition in her son’s underwear box.

Grant said they showed the family a plastic bag of the discovery, but they did not see what was inside it.

According to Grant, her son was arrested and spent his first night in the holding cells, before being moved to a cell of his own on the second night before his court appearance.

“He was kept at Philippi station for 48 hours in total before he appeared at Athlone Magistrate’s Court.

An image showing a bruise at the back of the teenage

But when he was released under house arrest on October 7, he returned home with a broken arm.

Grant said: “We then took him to Hanover Park Hospital, where he saw a doctor who opened a J88. He [the doctor] confirmed that my son’s arm was broken and put it in a cast.”

The mom went on to claim that her son can identify the female police officer who allegedly hit and stood on top of him.

“All of those officers had something to do with the beating and he can recognise their faces,” she said.

Grant said she and her husband are each writing down their own statement of what happened on the night the teen was apprehended.

She added: “What my husband and I are currently doing, in our own capacity, is each writing down our own statement of what happened that night.”

The family has since opened an assault case against Philippi police at the Lansdowne police station.

Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala told IOL Media that the matter is under investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

IOL Media approached IPID for comment. Spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed the assault was reported to the directorate.

“The incident of assault was reported to IPID. I am currently waiting for a report on the incident from the Western Cape office,” Shuping said.