Hudson Park High School has distanced itself from a rowdy party held by its pupils at a Beacon Bay guesthouse where a 15-year-old pupil was allegedly sexually assaulted, saying the chaotic event had been secretly organised by Grade 10 hostel boys.
The party which reportedly attracted more than 400 people, turned rowdy with neighbours physically removing the crowd during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Hudson Park headmaster Roy Hewett said the party had turned into a big event after it went viral on social networking sites.
“Social media turned the function into a ‘mass turnout’ with teenagers from many East London and King William’s Town schools arriving.”
In an e-mailed statement to the Dispatch yesterday, Hewett said the party happened after some parents of the hostel boys gave permission to the boys to organise the party at a B&B.
The party which occurred on Saturday night, happened after the school had a Grade 10 dance function on Friday night.
“The parents of some Grade 10 hostel boys, who had been signed out from Friday evening, gave their children permission to organise a small party at a B&B for Saturday night. The school was not aware of this and would have strongly advised against this,” Hewett said.
Hewett said that all had gone well at the school’s official function where there was parental supervision.
“All possible measures are always taken with strict discipline controls to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils at school functions.”
Hewett said the alleged misbehaviour by the school pupils at that party would be treated in serious light. “The reports of unacceptable behaviour are taken seriously by our school, with focus on the safety and welfare of our teenagers as pivotal.”
East London police have confirmed that the teenage victim was from another East London high school.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala, who confirmed that a case of sexual assault was under investigation, said no arrests had been made.
Mqala further said although police were not ruling out a possibility of more sexual assaults at the party, no new cases were reported yesterday.
A meeting was held between concerned residents and the Beacon Bay police management following reports that police did nothing to stop the underage drinking and the outrageous party. Beacon Bay patrol member Robert Elshove, who was also part of the team that attended to the chaos, said the meeting was attended by five local patrollers and a colonel in charge of the Beacon Bay police.
Elshove said: “We felt it our responsibility to report this situation and meet up with the police to discuss this to ensure it does not happen again. We work with the police and expect them to work with us.”
Elshove said the group submitted an official report to the station management.
Mqala said the station management would launch an internal investigation into the claims.
Eastern Cape provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said issues of alleged rape involving minors are “very sensitive and are ordinarily not for public consumption”.
Pulumani said the criminal act must be fully investigated without being “second-guessed by arbitrary comments from us”. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
School distances itself from pupils’ rowdy party
The party which reportedly attracted more than 400 people, turned rowdy with neighbours physically removing the crowd during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Hudson Park headmaster Roy Hewett said the party had turned into a big event after it went viral on social networking sites.
“Social media turned the function into a ‘mass turnout’ with teenagers from many East London and King William’s Town schools arriving.”
In an e-mailed statement to the Dispatch yesterday, Hewett said the party happened after some parents of the hostel boys gave permission to the boys to organise the party at a B&B.
The party which occurred on Saturday night, happened after the school had a Grade 10 dance function on Friday night.
“The parents of some Grade 10 hostel boys, who had been signed out from Friday evening, gave their children permission to organise a small party at a B&B for Saturday night. The school was not aware of this and would have strongly advised against this,” Hewett said.
Hewett said that all had gone well at the school’s official function where there was parental supervision.
“All possible measures are always taken with strict discipline controls to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our pupils at school functions.”
Hewett said the alleged misbehaviour by the school pupils at that party would be treated in serious light. “The reports of unacceptable behaviour are taken seriously by our school, with focus on the safety and welfare of our teenagers as pivotal.”
East London police have confirmed that the teenage victim was from another East London high school.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala, who confirmed that a case of sexual assault was under investigation, said no arrests had been made.
Mqala further said although police were not ruling out a possibility of more sexual assaults at the party, no new cases were reported yesterday.
A meeting was held between concerned residents and the Beacon Bay police management following reports that police did nothing to stop the underage drinking and the outrageous party. Beacon Bay patrol member Robert Elshove, who was also part of the team that attended to the chaos, said the meeting was attended by five local patrollers and a colonel in charge of the Beacon Bay police.
Elshove said: “We felt it our responsibility to report this situation and meet up with the police to discuss this to ensure it does not happen again. We work with the police and expect them to work with us.”
Elshove said the group submitted an official report to the station management.
Mqala said the station management would launch an internal investigation into the claims.
Eastern Cape provincial spokesman Loyiso Pulumani said issues of alleged rape involving minors are “very sensitive and are ordinarily not for public consumption”.
Pulumani said the criminal act must be fully investigated without being “second-guessed by arbitrary comments from us”. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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