Family of man killed by dogs seek N$4,6 million compensation

Family members of a man who was attacked and killed by four dogs at Oshakati last year are demanding N$4,6 million in compensation from the dogs’ owners.

Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Ruben Abraham’s cousin Albertina Nghipandulwa said the dogs’ owner, Haung Lingyan, has not visited or spoken to the family since Abraham’s death in September 2023.

Abraham (44) was a security guard with Rubicon Security. He was attacked by the dogs while walking home from work after the dogs  escaped their enclosure and were outside the fence.

A case of culpable homicide has been opened against Lingyan, who is a Chinese businesswoman at Oshakati. 

“Lingyan never came to us. The last time we saw her was the day the dogs were killed, the day after the fatal attack,” Nghipandulwa said. 

She further said the family wrote to Lingyan requesting N$200 000 for funeral expenses, but they were only given about N$30 000.

“When we provided them with a quotation, they sent the money to us through their lawyer.”  

Nghipandulwa noted that when the police officer investigating the case saw the request for N$200 000, he questioned what the family would do with the money. The investigating officer advised the family not to engage with the owner of the dogs but rather to communicate through him if they had any concerns, she said. 

Another family member, Nghituvali Johannes, said the N$30 000 offered by the dogs’ owner was insufficient because the family needed to buy an ox, a coffin and food for the funeral.

Johannes further said Abraham’s mother is mentally ill and there is no one left to care for her after his death.

“We are saddened because the dogs’ owner continues with her life, while our brother is dead.”

Johannes said the family wrote a letter to the dogs’ owner in December last year but have not received a response to date, despite the deadline of 31 January to respond. 

Police officer Gabriel Antonius, who is investigating the case, indicated in his statement that the police investigation revealed that the owner of the dogs did not intend to kill Abraham.

He noted that the dog attack occurred because she did not know the dogs had escaped the fence. 

Antonius said Lingyan had been verbally warned to secure the dogs, but this warning went unheeded and the dogs attacked another person the following day.

“Through my investigation, it is revealed that a language barrier may have contributed to her lack of understanding, as she was only familiar with a few English words until an interpreter came to assist.”

Lingyan, in her statement to the police, said she had released her dogs from their cages into the yard the previous night for security purposes. 

“I further state that when I last inspected the yard where I let the dogs out at night, everything was in order, as there is a boundary wall and security fence, which is 3,8m high. The first boundary wall is made of zinc, and the outer one is made of barbed wire,” she said. 

She added that she never intended for her dogs to attack or injure anyone.