Ex-husband sues minister

2007-03-15 09:18

Hilda Fourie

Johannesburg - A church minister and his girlfriend who allegedly beat up her ex-husband with a brick and stabbed him with a knife are being sued in the Pretoria High Court.

Reverend Johan van Staden of the Dutch Reform Church (Hervormde) congregation at Sionspoort in Randfontein and Elsje Olivier are said to have inflicted such extensive injuries that Gert Olivier, 46, a Randfontein workshop manager, had to spend a week in hospital.

Olivier is claiming R200 000 for "pain, suffering and discomfort, emotional shock, trauma and physical disfigurement".

The knife wound narrowly missed Olivier's kidneys, but perforated his small intestine. He claimed that there were also bruises from the blows inflicted with the brick.

Used crude language

According to the summons Olivier arrived at his ex-wife's house in Randfontein on January 10 2002 to return the children.

An argument ensued in which van Staden and Elsje Olivier are alleged to have insulted and belittled Gert Olivier, and then to have beaten him with a brick and stabbed him with a knife.

Van Staden and Elsje Olivier admit that Olivier was at the house on the night in question, but deny the rest of the allegations.

They allege that Olivier "directed crude, banal and insulting language towards them and uttered death threats".

Olivier is alleged to have attacked Van Staden and Else Olivier, by hitting and kicking them.

The defendants (Van Staden and Elsje Olivier) say they protected themselves "by using the necessary force to stop the attack".

- Beeld