#KZNSchoolAssault - Cops told father not to open case

A schoolgirl being beaten by a schoolboy at the Siyathuthuka High School in Inanda. Picture: Video Screengrab

A schoolgirl being beaten by a schoolboy at the Siyathuthuka High School in Inanda. Picture: Video Screengrab

Published Aug 12, 2017

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DURBAN - POLICE officers allegedly advised father of a 17-year-old schoolgirl who is seen being kicked and beaten by a schoolboy in a brutal video that surfaced this week, not to open a case against the man. 

This was revealed by KwaZulu-Natal’s acting provincial commissioner Major General Bheki Langa, who said a statement from the victim’s father revealed police had advised that a case not be open for the brutal incident.

In the video, the schoolgirl is brutally beaten by the schoolboy before she collapses to the floor. She appears to bleed in the video. 

The 19-year-old suspect was handed over to the police by his father after an assault case was opened on Friday. The incident took place last November at Siyathuthuka High School in Inanda, north of Durban, before it surfaced on social media this week. 

“Although he cannot recall who he spoke to, every attempt will be made to identify those who may have been responsible so that they could be brought to book. The SAPS views the problem of gender violence in a very serious light and will not accept officials who act outside the prescripts of the law as all as those who do not comply with our internal directives in this regard,” said Langa.

“We are working very closely with the father of the victim to identify the officials that he spoke to last year. We view the actions of these individuals as very serious misconduct and they will be dealt with very firmly within the prescripts of the law as well as our own disciplinary regulations,” said Langa.

KZN’s top cop was disturbed to see “young women being assaulted in such a vicious manner” by fellow pupils. 

“It is even more disturbing to note that the perpetrator is a young man in the prime of his life who should not be exhibiting such violent behaviour especially towards young females,” he said. 

The Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the arrest.

“We have identified some gaps in the manner in which the school handled the matter, which are the things that we must then correct as the departmen,” said Kwazi Mthethwa, a spokesperson for the department.  

"We have ordered that the internal tribunal be started afresh and that it be headed at a level of a district office to ensure transparency,” he said.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE

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