A 34-year-old former teacher has appeared in court on charges of rape, sexual assault and sexual grooming of a learner at a prestigious all-girls school in Pretoria six years ago.
The teacher, who cannot be named to protect the victim in the case, appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Services, and was granted R100,000 bail.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana said the girl was in Grade 5 at the time of the alleged incidents.
"The former teacher was employed at St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls between 2017 and 2018, where he allegedly raped, sexually assaulted and sexually groomed the girl during swimming lessons and when giving her extra classes," Mahanjana said.
She said it was only when the learner attended sexual offence classes in 2019 that she realised that what was being done to her was wrong.
"She began self-harming and her mother noticed her behaviour and when she asked her daughter what was wrong, she was told about the incidents.
"The mother took the girl to a social worker in 2019 and was later referred to a forensic social worker last year and a case was opened with Cape Town police and later transferred to Brooklyn police station," Mahanjana said.
The NPA said the former teacher asked to be released on bail as he had no prior cases and had handed himself over to police when he heard they were looking for him.
However, the State opposed his bail as he was a flight risk with no assets in the country and due to his unemployment, could skip the country.
The court granted him bail with conditions that he reports to his closest police station three times a week and does not interfere with witnesses.His travel documents were taken from him.
The matter is due back in court next month.
IOL