Two years after the nerves in her hand right hand were severed when her teacher allegedly hit her with a hosepipe‚ a 15-year-old pupil is still struggling with anger and frustration.
On Wednesday the former Nal’ikamva School pupil from Mfuleni in Cape Town was asked by a magistrate in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court whether she agreed to the seventh postponement in the criminal trial of teacher who has been charged with assault.
The pupil‚ who cannot be named‚ was distressed about having to stand up in front of a court room “full of adults” - including the teacher accused of hitting her - and having to speak for herself.
“I was so scared‚ because the magistrate called me and said I must stand in front of that teacher‚ and the way she looked at me‚ it was so scary and I didn't feel well‚” said the 15-year-old.
“She looked at me like I'm not a human being‚” she said.
The pupil's parents were forced to move her to a different school and according to Sonke Gender Justice‚ an NGO assisting the family in their quest for justice‚ she was “stigmatised” in her community as a result of the incident.
The organisation's unit manager for Children's Rights and Positive Parenting‚ Wessel van den Berg‚ said they are concerned about the way in which the case is being handled and although the pupil claims she was one of many who were lashed on the day‚ she is the only witness in the case.
“It's very traumatic for her to have to go back to court every time and sit in court with the accused and then to have to stand in front of the magistrate and have to talk‚” said Van den Berg.
The pupil claims that in 2015 Linda Fadane hit her and several other pupils with a “hosepipe” because they had not finished their classwork.
She will need surgery to reattach the nerves in her hand and has had to learn to write with her left hand which has had a debilitating effect on her marks.
“It makes me so frustrated because I always finish last‚ and I always get tired from writing with my left hand‚” she said.
“I feel angry and frustrated. It makes me sad all the time‚” she said.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
Girl's quest for justice after alleged beating by teacher
On Wednesday the former Nal’ikamva School pupil from Mfuleni in Cape Town was asked by a magistrate in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court whether she agreed to the seventh postponement in the criminal trial of teacher who has been charged with assault.
The pupil‚ who cannot be named‚ was distressed about having to stand up in front of a court room “full of adults” - including the teacher accused of hitting her - and having to speak for herself.
“I was so scared‚ because the magistrate called me and said I must stand in front of that teacher‚ and the way she looked at me‚ it was so scary and I didn't feel well‚” said the 15-year-old.
“She looked at me like I'm not a human being‚” she said.
The pupil's parents were forced to move her to a different school and according to Sonke Gender Justice‚ an NGO assisting the family in their quest for justice‚ she was “stigmatised” in her community as a result of the incident.
The organisation's unit manager for Children's Rights and Positive Parenting‚ Wessel van den Berg‚ said they are concerned about the way in which the case is being handled and although the pupil claims she was one of many who were lashed on the day‚ she is the only witness in the case.
“It's very traumatic for her to have to go back to court every time and sit in court with the accused and then to have to stand in front of the magistrate and have to talk‚” said Van den Berg.
The pupil claims that in 2015 Linda Fadane hit her and several other pupils with a “hosepipe” because they had not finished their classwork.
She will need surgery to reattach the nerves in her hand and has had to learn to write with her left hand which has had a debilitating effect on her marks.
“It makes me so frustrated because I always finish last‚ and I always get tired from writing with my left hand‚” she said.
“I feel angry and frustrated. It makes me sad all the time‚” she said.
- TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.
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