Joburg – The bail hearing of a School Governing Body (SGB) member from the Magaliesburg Maths, Science and ICT School of Specialisation (SOS) who appeared at the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court for sexually assaulting a Grade 12 pupil has been abandoned.
The news was confirmed by Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona.
Initially, the perpetrator appeared at the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on December 23 for a bail hearing.
The matter was set down for December 29 but has now been postponed to March 8, 2023.
The incident involving the member and the school pupil is said to have taken place on December 9 when school held a matric farewell ceremony for pupils.
According to Mabona, the Grade 12 schoolgirl was allegedly sexually assaulted by the SGB member during a matric farewell that the school held.
He said the case against the member was opened on December 10 at the Magaliesburg Police Station and the perpetrator was arrested that same day.
Furthermore, Mabona said the perpetrator would remain in custody until the next bail appearance.
Meanwhile, in October, a 35-year-old teacher at Mdingi Senior Primary School in the Eastern Cape was suspended and appeared in court for forcing young boys to masturbate.
It is alleged the teacher had been targeting pupils in Grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 between February and October this year and they would go into his office one by one to masturbate.
In KwaZulu-Natal, three pupils also appeared in court in November after they were arrested for the alleged gang-rape of a learner on the school premises.
In a shocking quarterly crime statistics that the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, released in November, on family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FSC), Cele said between July and September, the FCS unit arrested 4 375 perpetrators of crimes committed against women and children.
“Police traced and arrested 410 (alleged) rapists during this reporting period. Sixty eight of them have been sentenced to life behind bars,” he said.
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