AN EAST London primary school pupil accused of sodomising seven little boys and a girl has been taken to a place of safety as parents of his victims accused the school of handling the matter insensitively.
Six mothers, a grandmother and a dad frequently broke down in tears as they passed a roll of toilet paper around and spoke of their shock and distress at the news of the incidents, which are believed to have started earlier this year.
It is said that the boy – thought to be 12 years old – would accost his victims in bushes near the primary school, or even in the Grade 3 classroom.
Neither the boy nor the school can be named.
The parents accused the school of inappropriate communication of the devastating news, with one grandchild allegedly being sent home to tell his granny that another of her grandchildren had been raped.
One mom said the teacher bluntly told her at school on Thursday that “my child had been raped”.
“I burst into tears,” she said.
Another mom claimed teachers were blaming her for not reporting the incidents to the school.
Others said they received a letter from the school last Monday saying there was “a problem” with their child and that they should report to the school.
The group said the school had told the parents to report the incidents to the police, but had given very little moral, emotional or material support.
However, education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department got involved on Friday, and called in the departments of health, social development and the police.
“We received a complaint from parents and called on to assist us. This is a unique case as boys were sodomised.
“The boy has been removed to a place of safety and and the school governing body will assist us. If it has been happening for some time, we need to encourage learners to tell us.
“There is a report given to us by the district director and the school principal on what has been reported and steps taken.”
Mtima said the suspect was under the age of 15 – parents said he was 11 or 12.
The parents’ allegations that the school had known about the incidents for some time and had “kept them secret” are being investigated by Detective Warrant Officer Rudi van Dyk of the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit.
He said: “There will be repercussions with regard to withholding information from the police. If anyone is aware of a child who was a victim of rape or sexual abuse , please contact me on (043)722-9718 or 0716795175.”
East London-based counselling psychologist Lize Basson said there were several possible reasons for the boy’s behaviour.
These include:
lThat he was exposed to inappropriate sexual behaviour at home or elsewhere;
lThat he had been exposed to porn via social media or the internet; and
lThat he had been been abused.
“The abuse I’m talking about it not just sexual abuse. It could be emotional abuse or even psychological abuse which could cause a child to act out in this way,” Basson said.
“There could also be more complex reasons. The child may bullied at school and he’s just lashing out.”
Basson said if a child was being sexually abused they were often made to believe that the abuse constituted a special and secret relationship.
“If a child is involved in this kind of abusive relationship, he or she could believe that extending the behaviour to his or her friends is something special as opposed to abusive,” she said.
The parents of the victims said the behaviour of their children had changed. They described sudden fits of rage and bad dreams. One wet the bed, another ran away from home. Many had stopped showing an interest in their schooling. One child started stealing from neighbours.
“My child goes to the toilet and does nothing there but cry,” said a mom.
Basson said the victims could overcome the incident, preferably with therapy.
“This needs to happen in a space where the children feel safe. The parents also don’t need to talk about it constantly.”— mikel@dispatch.co.za / zisandan@dispatch.co.za
Furore over schoolboy rape claims
Six mothers, a grandmother and a dad frequently broke down in tears as they passed a roll of toilet paper around and spoke of their shock and distress at the news of the incidents, which are believed to have started earlier this year.
It is said that the boy – thought to be 12 years old – would accost his victims in bushes near the primary school, or even in the Grade 3 classroom.
Neither the boy nor the school can be named.
The parents accused the school of inappropriate communication of the devastating news, with one grandchild allegedly being sent home to tell his granny that another of her grandchildren had been raped.
One mom said the teacher bluntly told her at school on Thursday that “my child had been raped”.
“I burst into tears,” she said.
Another mom claimed teachers were blaming her for not reporting the incidents to the school.
Others said they received a letter from the school last Monday saying there was “a problem” with their child and that they should report to the school.
The group said the school had told the parents to report the incidents to the police, but had given very little moral, emotional or material support.
However, education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima said the department got involved on Friday, and called in the departments of health, social development and the police.
“We received a complaint from parents and called on to assist us. This is a unique case as boys were sodomised.
“The boy has been removed to a place of safety and and the school governing body will assist us. If it has been happening for some time, we need to encourage learners to tell us.
“There is a report given to us by the district director and the school principal on what has been reported and steps taken.”
Mtima said the suspect was under the age of 15 – parents said he was 11 or 12.
The parents’ allegations that the school had known about the incidents for some time and had “kept them secret” are being investigated by Detective Warrant Officer Rudi van Dyk of the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit.
He said: “There will be repercussions with regard to withholding information from the police. If anyone is aware of a child who was a victim of rape or sexual abuse , please contact me on (043)722-9718 or 0716795175.”
East London-based counselling psychologist Lize Basson said there were several possible reasons for the boy’s behaviour.
These include:
lThat he was exposed to inappropriate sexual behaviour at home or elsewhere;
lThat he had been exposed to porn via social media or the internet; and
lThat he had been been abused.
“The abuse I’m talking about it not just sexual abuse. It could be emotional abuse or even psychological abuse which could cause a child to act out in this way,” Basson said.
“There could also be more complex reasons. The child may bullied at school and he’s just lashing out.”
Basson said if a child was being sexually abused they were often made to believe that the abuse constituted a special and secret relationship.
“If a child is involved in this kind of abusive relationship, he or she could believe that extending the behaviour to his or her friends is something special as opposed to abusive,” she said.
The parents of the victims said the behaviour of their children had changed. They described sudden fits of rage and bad dreams. One wet the bed, another ran away from home. Many had stopped showing an interest in their schooling. One child started stealing from neighbours.
“My child goes to the toilet and does nothing there but cry,” said a mom.
Basson said the victims could overcome the incident, preferably with therapy.
“This needs to happen in a space where the children feel safe. The parents also don’t need to talk about it constantly.”— mikel@dispatch.co.za / zisandan@dispatch.co.za
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