A family form Krugersdorp, Gauteng, is ready to heal after it was recently revealed that their 17-year-old male family member has been raped regularly, reportedly by three other learners from his school, since November.

*Thabiso spoke exclusively to Krugersdorp News and explained that he had issues with bullies when he first started at the school. His grandmother who has been his guardian since his mother passed away said she reported the matter to the school and, according to her, they said they will keep an eye on the situation.

She told the publication that she initially noticed something was different with Thabiso but everything came to a head recently when the family noticed that he was stealing.

“We would send him to buy meat and then he would steal the meat and keep the money,” his grandmother said. When his uncle confronted him he told them he owed some people money. Eventually, he told his family he had to pay his rapists if he wanted them to stop.

Thabiso’s uncle explained that they packed him very nice lunches for school every day but last year three boys, who are all 18 years old, started taking his lunch. After a week of having to give away his lunchbox, he decided to not take lunch to school anymore. This allegedly escalated the situation and Thabiso told the newspaper that this is when the three boys started beating him.

The boys would beat him in the corridors and tell the teachers they were just playing. Then one day after the break, while on his way to class, the boys pulled him into the boys’ bathroom. There two of them allegedly took turns raping him. According to him, this became a regular occurrence and he said if he did not bring R50 or a lunchbox to school he would be punished by being raped.

His grandmother said she noticed his clothes were torn and blood-stained but added that Thabiso would always have excuses for it. He also made excuses to not go to school and would say that Thursdays and Fridays are athletics days and that there is no school on those days. His family became suspicious but he always had an excuse.

Thabiso said he wanted to tell his family but he was threatened with a knife the first time when he tried to fight back. After that, he was allegedly told that they would kill him if he told anyone.

“My heart felt small, I could not tell anyone,” he said.

The last time he was allegedly raped was on February 24 and he said he tried to tell the deputy principal who said he was too busy to talk at that time. He had a few days that he could stay at home as there were genuinely sporting days at school that he did not need to participate in, but he had to return soon after.

His family wants to know how none of the teachers noticed the difference in his attitude, how they did not pick up on him being absent so often, or why the bathrooms were not locked like they were allegedly supposed to be after break time. According to reports in the publication’s possession, Thabiso was written up for coming late after break many times. Thabiso said that he knows of other children who are bullied by the three boys and hopes that coming forward means that this will not be happening to any other children in this school.

The case has been reported to the police and the publication reached out to the school and the Department of Education for feedback.

All three boys (aged 17, 18, and 19) have since been arrested and Thabiso will be receiving counselling.

Krugersdorp police spokesperson Captain Raymond Sebonyane added: “The suspects will appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court soon.”

Krugersdorp Police Station commander Brigadier Xaba applauded Sergeant Mamokopi Gadebe, who managed to arrest all three suspects, for a job well done. He further encouraged all boys and men to report any crime against them immediately to the police as they also have constitutional rights.

*Thabiso is a pseudonym.