Autistic learner raped at school: Amanzimtoti teacher in court

A teacher from an Amanzimtoti special-needs school is expected to reappear in the Umlazi Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of raping a 16-year-old autistic learner on the school premises. The name of the school is being withheld to protect the identity of the child.

The mother of the victim, who also remains unnamed for privacy reasons, said she only became aware of the incident five days after it occurred in August. Disturbingly, she claims the school knew of the assault before she did – and attempted to cover it up.

How the rape was discovered

The mother recounted how the incident came to light after she picked up her daughter from school one day. That weekend, she received a text message from a male teacher on her phone, warning her daughter not to disclose what had happened.

“He must have thought it was my daughter’s phone. I asked her what the teacher was talking about, but she wouldn’t say anything,” said the mother.

Unsure of how to proceed, the mother kept her composure. When the teacher called again, she instructed her daughter to answer the phone as normal. With the call on speaker, the mother secretly recorded the conversation, a copy of which is in the possession of the South Coast SUN.

In the recording, a male voice can be heard telling the child that intercourse between a teacher and a learner is a crime and warning her that he would lose his job if she revealed what had happened. He also mentioned that the school principal had given the girl an opportunity to withdraw her allegations in an earlier meeting.

Armed with this evidence, the mother took her daughter to the hospital, where medical staff confirmed the child had been sexually violated. A case of rape was opened and transferred to the Amanzimtoti Police Station, leading to the teacher’s arrest.

School fails to report the matter

Further investigation revealed the teacher had been dismissed from another school before his employment in Amanzimtoti – also for engaging in inappropriate relationships with learners.

When approached for comment, the school confirmed that the teacher had been arrested but declined to say for how long it had known of the incident before the mother came to know of it. The school also declined to confirm whether a background check had been done on the teacher before he was hired.

“Any concerns reported by learners to the school management are promptly addressed,” it said.

Procedure to follow

According to a Department of Basic Education policy, a principal must inform the learner’s guardian or parents and the police about a sexual assault on the learner as soon as it becomes aware of it. No case was opened by the school at the Amanzimtoti Police Station relating to the alleged rape.

Provincial Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi said he was saddened by the allegations because every teacher at any school is entrusted by the department and parents to guide and protect the children.

“Teachers who prey on learners deserve the full might of the justice system, and they do not deserve to ever stand in the classroom. We will do our internal investigation, and if he is guilty of this crime, he will be dismissed,” said Mahlambi.

The teacher is expected to appear in court again on Monday to make a bail application.