Cape Town - A teacher at a Mitchells Plain high school where a stable hand was arrested after he allegedly stripped and beat two boys for stoning his horses, believes he was about to rape the boys when he was busted.
The teacher says a day after the boys were found, a gun-wielding relative ran into their staffroom at Portlands High looking for the perpetrator.
The teacher and other staff found the two boys, aged 12 and 14, in the stable on 17 October after they were alerted by concerned community members.
Police have confirmed the stable hand was arrested on a charge of assault and has appeared in court.
Witnesses say they found the bruised and beaten boys naked, tied up and hungry.
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“The perpetrator, who wanted to sexually assault the primary school children, was arrested after the community called the staff. He was apprehended on the school premises,” the teacher stated in a letter.
“On the day of the valedictory, it was reported that some boys threw stones at the horses that stay on the school premises. They were caught and allegedly undressed. The person looking after the horses at the time was accused of attempting to rape the boys."
“They were also tied with some fishing line. Family members and people from the community came and rescued the boys."
“A gun-wielding man came looking for the perpetrator in the staffroom. The man apparently said that he would kill the child molester, a staff member had to chase him out of the building. Teachers and staff were terrified.”
The Western Cape Education Department has since asked the owner of the horses to vacate the premises.