Angry parents confronted staff at Herbert Hurd Primary School on Thursday, demanding the immediate suspension of two pupils at the centre of alleged rapes in the school toilets — and answers as to why they only learnt about the scandal two months after the school did.
The showdown in the school foyer — attended by about 20 parents, principal Dr Susan Whale and an education department representative — comes after a mother alleged her son was repeatedly raped by a boy in his grade during the second term while a second boy allegedly forced him to comply by threatening to harm his brother.
But in a dramatic twist, the mother of the boy accused of being the facilitator has broken her silence.
She claimed her son never threatened anyone and was in fact the whistleblower who reported seeing the other two boys allegedly engaged in sex acts in the ablution block.
The school said in a letter to parents on Wednesday that the matter was being taken very seriously and was being dealt with.
It also called on parents to refrain from worsening the situation with possibly false posts on social media.
After angry parents lined up in the rain outside the school gates in Newton Park on Thursday, a meeting was finally called.
A Herald team managed to briefly attend the impromptu meeting before being asked to leave, but spoke afterwards to several of the parents who had gathered.
One of them, Unathi Mabutho, said they were there to ensure their children were being protected, given the allegations that had surfaced.
“We demand the immediate suspension of the alleged perpetrators, or that they be separated from the other kids.
“Also, we want to know what measures are in place to ensure the safety of our children, especially in the ablution facilities.
“Furthermore, all incidents of alleged bullying reported to teachers should be taken seriously and acted upon.”
Another parent, who asked not to be named, said he was most upset as to why all parents had not been informed from the outset that there was a concerning allegation and it was being investigated.
“Given the seriousness of the matter, the principal or the school governing body (SGB) should have alerted us all as soon as they learnt about it.
“They need not have noted any names.
“By that time, as I understand, the kids allegedly involved were already known to them, so it would not have harmed the investigation.
“If it had been done that way, and had included what safety steps were being taken, parents would not now be making a thing of it.
“Hearing about it two months later in the media is what upsets us.
“We need transparency.”
The mother of the boy accused of facilitating the alleged rapes said her son had come upon the complainant in the school ablution block allegedly engaged in intercourse with the boy he was now accusing of raping him.
“According to my son’s account, the alleged victim was the one positioned behind the other boy, and both boys had their pants down.
“The boys saw him and said something to the effect of, ‘oh it’s you’.
“He was shocked and told a teacher what he had [allegedly] seen.”
“He says he feels the teacher did not take him seriously.
“It could be because he did not know how to describe what he saw. But either way, nothing was done.”
She said her son and another boy had some while later allegedly come upon the same boys in the same compromising position in the school toilets.
“They reported the matter and this time action was taken.”
She said, according to her son, the matter had in fact arisen earlier in the second term when the three boys, who were in fact friends, had been talking during break.
“The other two [allegedly] told him that they had been touching each other and that this had apparently started in grade 2.”
She said her son maintained that there was no truth to the allegation that he had facilitated what transpired.
“When it first [allegedly] started happening between these two kids, he was not yet even at the school.
“He furthermore strongly denies the allegation that he threatened the complainant by saying he would harm his brother if he did not do what is alleged.”
She said the truth of what happened needed to be verified and dealt with clearly and swiftly.
“While the police investigation is under way, I strongly believe there should be an independent investigation by the education department, so that all versions can be considered properly and the facts established.
“The truth must come out.
“I ask that we, as parents, remain truthful and allow a proper investigation to establish what actually happened.
“My son’s position has consistently been that there was no bullying or coercion by him.
“If he had not reported what he [allegedly] witnessed, this matter may never have come to light.”
The letter the school sent out on Wednesday, signed by SGB chair Shaun Callahan, further stated: “The matter, due to its serious nature, is being dealt with by the school governing body, the department of education and the police.
“We fully understand questions have been raised, and rightfully so.
“We, however, do confirm that the proper channels in reporting and dealing with [the matter] have been properly followed by the principal and the school governing body.
“We humbly request that parents and guardians practice due diligence in not sharing and partaking in false allegations, as these have a serious impact on the minors involved and the school as a whole.
“As we continue to navigate through this incident, we reassure all parents and guardians that the safety of all our learners is of the utmost importance.”
Contacted on Thursday, the school said any further questions should be put to the education department.
Provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said on Tuesday that due to the seriousness of the matter, it had been referred to the police, who were now leading the investigation.
The mother of the complainant said on Tuesday that according to her son’s account, he was forced to succumb to the alleged rape by the one boy, to protect his brother, whom the alleged facilitator had allegedly threatened to harm.
She said the family had been hurt and upset that the school had reportedly not sought to check on her son’s wellbeing since the launch of the police investigation at the start of the third term.
The school has not been available to respond to this accusation.
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