Family seeks safety for school ‘toilet rape’ survivor

The family of a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped at East Bank High School has asked the Gauteng Department of Education to take the girl to a school outside of the township.

The girl’s uncle said they had approached the department to request that the victim be moved from the school she had been taken to in Alex to a school outside the township as she experiences bullying and threats of being raped again.

Read more: School ‘toilet rape’ teens denied bail

“We have asked the department to take the child to a school outside Alexandra because it does not help to take the child to another school in the same area where almost everyone knows about her situation.

“My niece is not even copying because of these bullies so I think it would be best for her to go to the school where no one knows her and her case,” the uncle said, adding that they were still waiting for a response from the department.

Read more: Alexandra learner gang-raped in school toilet: Teens in court

The uncle said they had since opened a case against the four learners from her current school who have been tormenting his niece. Since the learners were minors, they got two weeks of suspension from school which has since lapsed.

Meanwhile, Gauteng Department of Education spokesperson Steve Mabona has not responded to an email message that was sent to him on March 15 after he requested the WhatsApp message to him be diverted to email.

A second WhatsApp message was sent to Mabona – following up on the original email and the family’s request- but at the time of going to print no response from Mabona or the DoE had been forthcoming.

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