When allegations of sexual abuse levelled against former Grade 7 primary school teacher Neil Pieter Le Roux emerged, teachers at the school showed him support because they regarded the allegations as false accusation.
This was the testimony of a 29-year-old second complainant as the rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming trial against Le Roux entered its second day in the East London Regional Court yesterday.
The woman told the court of her alleged experience with 67-year-old Le Roux which happened on the evening of February 12 2016. At the time she was a student teacher at the school and Le Roux was her mentor.
“On that day there was a Grade 7 Valentine’s Day dance between our school and (another) school. Mr Le Roux offered me a lift to and back as I did not have a car. After the function, parents came and picked up their kids and we left. It was about 7.30pm.
“On our way back to the hostel, he opened a bottle of alcohol. He said: ‘It is Friday and we must relax.’ He parked on the side of the road and took a sip. He encouraged me to take a sip and he proceeded to carry on driving,” the woman told the court.
She said instead of taking a shorter route to where she was staying, Le Roux allegedly took a longer one.
“Did you take further sips,” magistrate Ignatius Kitching queried and she responded: “I did, one or two sips.”
The woman said Le Roux parked his car in front of the school and she got out.
“He ordered me to take the bottle with and we walked towards the hostel. He then said let’s take a seat by the tennis court and have a conversation. He mentioned that if he should kiss me at this point I shouldn’t find it funny or weird. I suggested that I should go to the hostel, he got up and embraced me. He started nibbling at my ear with his mouth and I pulled away. I said ‘No I should go’ and he started telling me that if I don’t want a relationship with him it was my loss and that I am letting a good opportunity go, he was trying to make me feel bad,” the woman told the court.
She said the following Monday she had confronted him about the incident and he had allegedly told her that he was proud of her for talking to him about it.
She said she did not experience any incident with him again, until in April during a school beach event that she had heard teachers saying someone had come forward and accused Le Roux of abuse.
“The teachers said they were going to support him because they were false accusation. I approached one teacher and I told her that it is possible the allegations may be true because something similar had happened to me. Later that day I met the school principal and I relayed my story,” said the woman.
Le Roux’s lawyer advocate Neil Schoeman reminded the woman that she was a little bit shorter than his client. “Mr Le Roux would say that evening he hugged you and talked in your ear to thank you for what you have done for the evening that’s why you thought it was a nibble.” (Subs: do not delete)
“That is incorrect I know the difference,” the woman shot back. The trial continues today -
Le Roux nibbled my ear, says teacher
When allegations of sexual abuse levelled against former Grade 7 primary school teacher Neil Pieter Le Roux emerged, teachers at the school showed him support because they regarded the allegations as false accusation.
This was the testimony of a 29-year-old second complainant as the rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming trial against Le Roux entered its second day in the East London Regional Court yesterday.
The woman told the court of her alleged experience with 67-year-old Le Roux which happened on the evening of February 12 2016. At the time she was a student teacher at the school and Le Roux was her mentor.
“On that day there was a Grade 7 Valentine’s Day dance between our school and (another) school. Mr Le Roux offered me a lift to and back as I did not have a car. After the function, parents came and picked up their kids and we left. It was about 7.30pm.
“On our way back to the hostel, he opened a bottle of alcohol. He said: ‘It is Friday and we must relax.’ He parked on the side of the road and took a sip. He encouraged me to take a sip and he proceeded to carry on driving,” the woman told the court.
She said instead of taking a shorter route to where she was staying, Le Roux allegedly took a longer one.
“Did you take further sips,” magistrate Ignatius Kitching queried and she responded: “I did, one or two sips.”
The woman said Le Roux parked his car in front of the school and she got out.
“He ordered me to take the bottle with and we walked towards the hostel. He then said let’s take a seat by the tennis court and have a conversation. He mentioned that if he should kiss me at this point I shouldn’t find it funny or weird. I suggested that I should go to the hostel, he got up and embraced me. He started nibbling at my ear with his mouth and I pulled away. I said ‘No I should go’ and he started telling me that if I don’t want a relationship with him it was my loss and that I am letting a good opportunity go, he was trying to make me feel bad,” the woman told the court.
She said the following Monday she had confronted him about the incident and he had allegedly told her that he was proud of her for talking to him about it.
She said she did not experience any incident with him again, until in April during a school beach event that she had heard teachers saying someone had come forward and accused Le Roux of abuse.
“The teachers said they were going to support him because they were false accusation. I approached one teacher and I told her that it is possible the allegations may be true because something similar had happened to me. Later that day I met the school principal and I relayed my story,” said the woman.
Le Roux’s lawyer advocate Neil Schoeman reminded the woman that she was a little bit shorter than his client. “Mr Le Roux would say that evening he hugged you and talked in your ear to thank you for what you have done for the evening that’s why you thought it was a nibble.” (Subs: do not delete)
“That is incorrect I know the difference,” the woman shot back. The trial continues today -
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