A claim by a Durban south mother that her Grade R son’s school failed to act after he was raped in the toilets by an older boy, has led to calls for more effective action.
The Democratic Allliance’s Dr Imran Keeka, KZN spokesperson on Education said it is always devastating to be informed about incidents of sexual assault within schools and the latest, here in KwaZulu-Natal, is no exception. The five-year-old Grade R learner was allegedly raped in the school toilets during school hours by a Grade 7 learner. The little boy has also revealed that this was not the first time this had occurred.
“Shockingly, despite a security guard at the school having stated that he had seen the two boys go into the toilets and could identify the older boy, there was no immediate action by the school management. In fact, it was only a week later – after the boy’s mother called for answers – that the matter was brought to the attention of the Department of Education’s (DoE) circuit manager. To add insult to injury, the Department’s senior management has also confirmed that they were not aware of the incident until now,” said Dr Imran Keeka.
Keeka said abuse, whether learner on learner, educator on learner or any other form is devastating for the victims and for the entire schooling environment. The DA is led to believe that the boy’s mother has reported the case to SAPS and an investigation is now underway. The party says it welcomes the involvement of SAPS and we look forward to confirmation that all steps have been taken to arrange for the psychological assistance of the victim and parents. “As painful as the situation is, the alleged perpetrator will also need psychological intervention while the law is expected to follow due process.
“It is horrific that both parties currently remain on the same school premises. The DA will write to KZN Education MEC, Kwazi Mshengu, to ask that the DoE explore the possibility of separating the victim from the alleged perpetrator until such time as the matter is resolved through inevitable court proceedings.”
They have also called on the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations unit of SAPS (FCS) to work expeditiously to allow the matter to reach a conclusion. “Our schools must be places where learners are safe in the knowledge
that they can receive an education without such dreadful incidents taking place. The DA will continue to fight for their rights in this regard.”
