The case of the 22-year-old former assistant water polo coach and assistant boarding master at Parktown Boys’ High School in Johannesburg has been postponed till next Wednesday.
The State asked for the postponement of the case, saying it was not ready because a representative from the office of the director of public prosecutions needed to bring in the indictment and he was not present at today's proceedings.The man, who stands accused on charges of sexually grooming children, sexual assault and assault, appeared briefly at the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court this morning.
Closed-circuit television footage on the school premises showed the former coach allegedly fondling and groping a 15-year-old pupil in November last year.
After the footage was discovered, he was immediately banned from the school premises but he resigned with immediate effect. The man was arrested and released on R3000 bail.
The Sunday Times had in May reported that more than 20 pupils, aged between 15 and 16, had accused him of sexual assault.
In May, Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said that despite the alleged misconduct at the school, Parktown Boys was still one of the best in the province.
The department maintained that the matter was not reported immediately to them.
“The matter was not formally reported to the department by the school. Rather, the department became aware only after the issue became public. The failure by the school to report these serious allegations smacks of an attempt to sweep them under the carpet,” the department said.
The school, however, disputed this, saying that on the morning of November 4 2016, they had informed the Gauteng department of education.
“We provided immediate and ongoing counselling and psychological support to the learners concerned, and have continued to engage with their parents. A senior representative from the department’s psychological services visited the school and is still working closely with us,” the school said.
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