MEC releases child rape report
MEC of education Mr Panyaza Lesufi outlines report findings on rape incident in primary school.
Gopolang Chawane
Two young girls were indeed sexually violated at a school east of Pretoria last month, Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said on Thursday.
This was confirmed by a medical examination of two of the three girls said to have been molested. The third girl was not available on the examination dates, Lesufi said.
“We have established that there were in fact three female learners and two male learners involved,” he told reporters at the school.
“The male learners are implicated in sexually violating the female learners.”
Lesufi was presenting the findings of a report on the matter to the Kutumela Molefi Primary School in Lethabong Informal Settlement.
The girls between the ages of seven and nine were allegedly tied up and sexually assaulted by two boys, aged 10 years and 14 years.
Two of the three girls returned to school last week, where the accused boys are still pupils. One of the girls was removed from the school by her parents.
The department provided counselling to both the victims and alleged perpetrators.
The report said the department should urge the school governing body (SGB) to consider suspending the two boys as a precautionary measure. The SGB should also investigate the matter further.
The principal should have taken action against the two boys, the report concluded.
“There was some merit to the allegation that the school principal Mr Alfred Moemise did not handle the matter properly,” said the MEC.
“We therefore recommend the department hold disciplinary action against the principal.”
Lesufi said there were concerns that one of the three girls was showing behavioural problems, constantly running away from home.
The violation happened on school grounds at the end of the school term, while the three girls were waiting for transport to go to home.
Watch video of the MEC’s report here:
Also read:
Young Pretoria pupils allegedly raped
Team to investigate school rape claims
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