- A Grade 1 girl was allegedly raped at Bergview College in Matatiele while waiting for transport.
- The school gave the child a transfer letter and told her parents to find another school.
A seven-year-old girl was raped at her school, but instead of helping her get justice, the mother says the school just told her to find a new school for her child.
The incident happened on 14 October at Bergview College. The Grade 1 learner was waiting for transport when a caretaker called her to sweep a classroom at the far end of the school.
Family spokesperson Nomvula Qola said the girl described a strange smell in the room.
“She told us that she continued to sweep the classroom but she suddenly started feeling tired. She said she does not remember what happened next, instead, she was woken up by the transport driver telling her it was time to go home,” she said.
The child got home late that day and told her mother that the transport was delayed.
The next morning, the mother saw something was wrong. “I noticed that she looked sad. I asked her what was wrong and she said she was fine.”
That afternoon, the mother came home early because her son was sick. She noticed her daughter’s zipper was undone. After supper, the child complained of stomach pain.
“She came back after 10 minutes saying that her backside was hurting. As a parent, I thought maybe she was reacting to the meat we had earlier, so I gave her an antidiarrheal. I then took her to sleep and told her to wake me up if it got worse.”
The next day, the mother discovered what had happened. “She said she woke up from the pain three times. So I took her to my room so I could check what was so painful. I was shocked to see that her rectum was wide open. I called her father to come and see for himself,” she said.
A doctor confirmed the girl had been raped. Her parents reported the case to the police and took her to the Thuthuzela Care Centre for rape victims.
The mother said the school principal told her not to talk about the incident because it would damage the school’s image.
In January, the community held a protest march to demand justice.
Qola said police were told to collect DNA samples from every man who had contact with the girl that day. The child’s father, the caretaker and the driver all gave their samples. But the principal refused.
“The school principal, instead of presenting himself for testing so he could be ruled out, he brought AfriForum lawyers who said his rights were being violated and that he cannot be forced to take a DNA test,” she said.
Things got worse when the school gave the child a transfer letter and told the parents to find another school.
Qola said police have also failed to get a statement from the driver, who moved to Durban.
“The police told us that they cannot travel to Durban for a statement because their provincial office said there’s no budget for travelling.”
Eastern Cape Police had not answered questions from Scrolla.Africa.
Eastern Cape Education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima said the department can only do so much because the school is privately owned.
“We subsidise the school by a certain percentage and therefore limit our power to intervene on certain things. We can only oversee and advise on certain things,” he said.
Eastern Cape Social Development MEC Bukiwe Fanta called for action.
“No child should ever have to endure such a horrific experience, and those responsible for this crime must be brought to justice. We cannot tolerate any form of violence against the vulnerable members of our community, particularly our children,” Fanta said.
The ANC Women’s League added: “We demand the school principal to lead by example and meet the demands and the will of the public by being accountable.”
Pictured above: Bergview College banner.
Image source: Facebook
