A 14-year-old girl has been left traumatised after she was gang-raped by six boys at school, while videos of the sick attack have gone viral.
The case has sent shockwaves through the Manenberg community after learners at the high school in the area shared the videos and bullied the teen.
Speaking to the Daily Voice, the Grade 8 learner said she was attacked on Tuesday afternoon by a group of boys who call themselves the “Brave Ones”.
She says they dragged her into an empty classroom and forced her to undress.
“I was walking home alone when one boy came to me and grabbed me.
“He said I must go with him and I was scared of him.
“They made me bend over on the desk and two of the boys raped me in the front. They kept me down and hurt my neck.
“When they were done, they just left me there. I know four of them. They are in Grade 10.”
The traumatised teen went home and did not tell her family immediately.
Her 29-year-old cousin says on Wednesday the family was shocked when her classmates came running to the house.
“She told us nothing. The next day the children came here saying that she was being bullied because there was a video that was going viral,” says the cousin.
“I immediately took her to the police station and she was taken for tests at the Thuthuzela Centre.
“We are angry and demand justice. She has not slept and she refuses to eat. The entire community sharing a video like this is very irresponsible.”
Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg, says two teen suspects have been taken in for questioning but no arrests have been made yet.
“A case of rape was registered at Manenberg Police for investigation, after an incident involving a 14-year-old girl on Tuesday. Two persons of interest, aged 15 and 17, were taken in for questioning.”
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer says she is disgusted by the incident.
“I am absolutely shocked and disgusted, firstly that the boys could allegedly do this, secondly that someone would film it, and thirdly that someone would disseminate it and learners continue with its dissemination, harming the victim even further.
“This is why we have such a gender-based violence problem in our country,” she says.
Schafer says the WCED will take immediate action against the perpetrators and ensure that the victim gets support.
“In addition, we will ask the Department of Community Safety to add the case to their watching brief list for ongoing monitoring.”