North West girl’s statutory rape: Deputy principal granted bail

A 63-year-old deputy principal of a primary school near Hartbeespoort appeared in the Brits Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of sexual grooming, sexual assault, and statutory rape of a 12-year-old girl at the school.

Kormorant reports the court granted the deputy principal bail of R5 000.

According to Lumka Mahanjana, the spokesperson for the NPA, the deputy principal already started grooming the girl in 2023 when he allegedly kissed her and started sending her nude photos.

“It is alleged that in 2024, the accused took the minor child to the bushes near Majakaneng, where he had sexual intercourse with her. After seeing the messages, the victim’s friend informed her mother and the school teacher who requested them to bring their phones to school for observation. The mother of the victim was informed of the incident by the school and a case was opened against the accused on November 23. The accused was arrested on November 25 after he handed himself over to the Brits Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences offices,” Mahanjana says.

The accused asked the court to grant him bail because he is a first offender who is married and has children. He said that he was employed as an educator and needed to pay his bond. However, state prosecutor Octavia Pletschke opposed bail, saying that the accused is charged with serious offences that may result in a lengthy term of imprisonment if found guilty, which might make him evade his trial.

Pletschke told the court that the accused had already threatened and intimidated the victim, her mother and the witness. She argued that he would interfere with witnesses and investigations if granted bail.

Magistrate Reagan Rosenburg said the high bail amount and very strict conditions will ensure that the accused stands trial and that he does not interfere with the victim or witnesses. He said that it was in the interest of justice for the accused to be granted bail. The bail conditions are that the accused reports daily to the Hartbeespoort police and may not have any direct or indirect contact with the victim or witnesses. He had to surrender his passport to the investigating officer.