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Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said a 17-year-old suspect was arrested yesterday in Bulwer, in the Harry Gwala District, by Donnybrook SAPS for raping the 12-year-old.
Now the child’s distraught father is demanding to know who sent his child home from school.
“I want to know why my child was sent back home alone. At that time there were no other children on the road, which is known to be dangerous.
“The principal had not arrived at school at that time, so I want to know who made my child walk 7km just to fetch her mask. Someone at the school must take responsibility for this. Was it a teacher or the security guard who turned her away?” asked the father.
He said his daughter was halfway home when she noticed the alleged suspect following her.
The visibly upset father said his daughter was assaulted and dragged by her school tie into a forest-like area.
The suspect allegedly raped her at knife point and threatened to kill her if she reported the matter, said the father.
He said two boys who were walking by found her shoes and went into the forest looking for her.
“My child came out of the forest crying. She was afraid to say she had been raped because the suspect had threatened to kill her. He ran through another exit in the forest. But these boys spotted him and gave chase. Unfortunately, he disappeared among grazing cattle. But he had discarded the jacket he was wearing and the boys found it.”
The father said that when he was alerted to the attack, he reported the incident to local traditional leaders.
The suspect was arrested after he was identified by his jacket.
“He was wearing the same clothes he had on during the attack.
“The police were called and he was arrested.”
The father said he was greatly pained by what had happened to his child.
“She moved into the area recently after her mother died. I cannot eat or sleep since this attack. What this boy did to my child was painful.
“The school should have never let her walk such a long distance alone,” he said.
KZN Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu said the department was shocked by the attack.
“We are giving the pupil socio-psychological support. We condemn this barbaric and painful act. We are working with the police to ensure swift justice.”
Mshengu also appealed to parents to ensure their children wore their masks from the moment they left home, and not only to comply with Covid-19 regulations at school. He said it was for their own safety.
Teacher unions and child welfare organisations have slammed the Education Department, saying contingency measures should be in place should any pupils forget their masks.
Jackie Branfield of the Bobby Bear Foundation said the school turning away a young girl child for not having a mask and allowing her to return home unsupervised “was nothing short of criminal”.
She said that even before the Covid-19 pandemic it was risky sending young children home without supervision.
“It is shocking and disgusting that the school allowed a little girl to walk home by herself.
“The government told us that schools would be equipped with PPE, so why did this child have to be sent home to fetch a mask?
“Apart from the trauma, she not only runs the risk of testing positive for HIV, but also now Covid-19. We say a child of Africa is a child of mine, yet our community cannot think to protect our children,” Branfield said.
The acting director for Childline KZN, Adeshini Naicker, said the number of rape cases reported in the past week was shocking.
“There is no excuse for this barbaric behaviour and we are hopeful that a swift and deserving punishment will be meted out.”
Thirona Moodley of teacher union Naptosa said they were outraged by the rape.
“The pupil paid the price for not wearing a mask! Who decided to turn the pupil away? Did the person know of the possible danger the pupil would be in?
“When will common sense prevail over policy? Pupils are going to lose their masks or arrive without masks, they are adjusting to the new rules and protocols, surely schools must be mindful of this and have contingency plans in place. Do we turn away every pupil who arrives without a mask?
“The Department of Education must put practical steps in place for principals to follow. This form of gender-based violence against our children must be strongly condemned and all must be done to bring the perpetrators to book,” she said.
The Mercury
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