Pretoria - The two boys alleged to have raped three girls at Kutumela Molefi Primary School in the Lethabong informal settlement, east of Pretoria, will be suspended as recommended after an independent investigation.
The private investigation commissioned by the Education Department three weeks ago into the transgression by the boys, aged 10 and 14, found it was of a serious nature and required that the two be disciplined.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations, coupled with the fact that all learners attend the same school, we recommend that the school and the school governing body (SGB) urgently consider suspending the implicated male learners,” the report reads.
Releasing the findings on Thursday, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi confirmed his support for the recommendation.
It would allow the victims, aged 7, 8 and 9, a level of freedom, he said.
Lesufi recommended that the boys be suspended, saying the brief reprieve could lead to their expulsion.
Included in the brief the MEC gave to the forensic investigators was to examine the chain of events relating to the reporting of the incident to the district office and police.
The incident took place on June 11, but was only reported to the police and other authorities on the 30th of that month.
This was despite principal Alfred Moemise promising parents that he had reported it and an investigation had started.
Moemise had come under fire from parents, the department and stakeholders for failing to report the matter as was required by the law and department policies.
He has been served with a letter of intent to suspend by the department.
The probe found that Moemise sat on the information for 12 days before it was brought to the attention of the police by one of the parents.
“The principal clearly did not appreciate the seriousness, urgency and gravity of the matter,” reads the report.
The investigation found the reasons given for the delay were unacceptable.
The result of that was an inordinate delay during which the pupils could have received counselling or urgent medical examination which would have facilitated the proper gathering of all necessary evidence, said the report.
The report found Moemise hadn’t handled the matter properly and with the professionalism and urgency it required, and recommended that he be charged by his employer.
Lesufi told the media the investigators had been unable to conclude which of the boys had raped which girl, saying there were conflicting reports given by all five of them during the interviews.
Lesufi also visited the parents of the victims and perpetrators, and briefed them on the findings of the investigation.
He assured them of support from the department, saying the girls required urgent intervention for the physical and emotional damage, while the boys needed psychological assistance to prevent them from growing up with behavioural problems.
“All five of them require intensive counselling, and none must be sentenced to a life of trauma,” he said.
He mentioned the possibility of removing the boys from the school to preserve the environment in which the girls were learning.
But the mother of one of the boys said that would be travesty of justice as it would put an end to her son’s educational life.
“He will forever live with the trauma of being removed from school over this incident,” she said, further telling the MEC that she was unemployed and would not be able to transport him to any school outside of the settlement.
She blamed one of the girls, saying she had often been seen at night in search of her mother who spent time in taverns.
She also said the 8-year-old girl was known to loiter around and could often be found in the company of older boys.
Lesufi assured the mother and the other parents that they could undergo counselling to allow them to understand the circumstances in which they found themselves, and would be assisted if relocation was necessary.
Madali Chibambu, of the Gauteng Department of Social Development, said the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court referred the boys to probation officers for assessment.
It was recommended that the 10-year-old be referred to Sterkfontein Hospital for psychological assessment.
The court should determine the criminal capacity of the 14-year-old to guide the way forward.
According to the probation officer, the boys admitted to watching pornography on their cellphones.
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Pretoria News