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 Accused pleads not guilty in Oprah case
    July 29 2008 at 11:47AM Get IOL on your
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By Gill Gifford and Botho Molosankwe

The sordid details of what is alleged to have happened to girls at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy have finally emerged in court.

The 14 charges - many of them sex related and committed against girls aged 13 and 14 - were on Monday morning to put to former dormatory parents Virginia Tiny Makopo(corr) at the Sebokeng magistrate's court.

The 28-year-old woman remained mute and unemotional as details of the case against her were laid out by prosecutor Etienne Venter. She pleaded not guilty to all 14 counts.

Venter read out the charge sheet and Makopo and was asked to plead after each count.
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Count 1, criment injuria, was that she called a 13-year-old girl a "bitch", a "prostitute", told her she was dirty, she was "nothing" and acted like a lesbian.

Count 2, indecent assault, was that she kissed a 13-year-old girl with an open mouth, touched her breasts over her clothes and placed the girl's hands on her own breasts.

Count 3, assault, was that she called the girl onto a bed and kicked her on her knee.

Count 4, indecent assault, was that she repeatedly went into a 14-year-old girl's room at night, climbed into her bed with her, hugged her, rubbed her nose against the girl's cheek and pulled her close and rubbed her breast against the child's breast.

Count 6, assualt, was that Mokopo allegedly threw a 14-year-old girl onto a couch, climbed on top of her, forced her to eat castard and rubbed it into her hair.

Count 6, assault with the intent to cause grievious bodily harm, was that the accused forcibly held a 14-year-old girl under a shower, and beat up the child under running water, causing bruises.

Count 7, crimen injuria, was that the accused told a 13-year-old girl she was stupid and did not deserved to be at the academy.


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