Pupil faces suspension over sex assault claims

027 22.05.2014 Police officers makes their way at Pudumo primary school, a grade 6 pupil has raped seven (7) young girls mostly under the age of eight (8) years, the parents of the young girls were taken to Orange Police station questioning. Picture: Itumeleng English

027 22.05.2014 Police officers makes their way at Pudumo primary school, a grade 6 pupil has raped seven (7) young girls mostly under the age of eight (8) years, the parents of the young girls were taken to Orange Police station questioning. Picture: Itumeleng English

Published May 23, 2014

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Johannesburg - An Orange Farm school pupil accused of sexually assaulting about seven girls at his school will be suspended, the Gauteng education department said on Friday.

“We will suspend him and then take him to a disciplinary hearing while we investigate the allegations,” spokeswoman Phumla Sekhonyane said.

“We have also called in the police because of the seriousness of the alleged crimes.”

The department was alerted about the allegations at the Extension 8, Orange Farm school on Thursday.

The 14-year-old boy is accused of luring girls into a toilet, taking off their clothes, and touching them.

“Today, trauma counselling is being provided to all the learners,” said Sekhonyane.

She said criminal charges would probably be sought by parents, but it had not yet been confirmed.

Police spokesman Lt-Col Lungelo Dlamini told Sapa he did not have any information on the case.

“No, I don't have information on that,” he said.

National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) president Basil Manuel was outraged.

“The department of education needs to uphold and expand the structures and policies that are in place to ensure the safety of our children in schools,” he said in a statement.

School management should be held accountable for the safety of pupils.

“The situation in our schools can only be normalised if all role players, including the department of education, parents, learners, and communities put a stop to the moral degeneration pervading our society,” said Manuel.

Sapa

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