Free State teacher in court for allegedly raping pupil

A 28-year-old teacher from the Free State has been charged with raping a matric pupil at his home.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the boy, 17, had refused to attend school following the incident.

Invited home

“It is alleged that on the day of the incident, the teacher at Hentie Cilliers High School met the 17-year-old matric student in town at a butchery and invited him to his house,” Senokoatsane explained on Thursday after the court appearance.

“When they arrived at his house, the teacher raped the student. The incident was reported to the authorities after the student refused to attend school as his parents sought help.”

The teacher was arrested and charged with rape. He appeared at Virginia Magistrate’s Court in the Free State town where the alleged rape occurred, and was granted R3,000 bail after his bail was not opposed.

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“The bail was granted with conditions that he should not contact the victim and not enter Hentie Cilliers High School.

“The case has been remanded to 21 May 2024. Investigations led by the police are continuing in this matter.”

Incident at private school in Pretoria

This comes a month after a 34-year-old former teacher from a girls school in Pretoria was granted R10,000 bail on rape, sexual assault, and sexual grooming charges.

NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said that when the teacher was employed at the private school in Hillcrest, Pretoria, between 2017 and 2018, he allegedly raped, sexually assaulted, and sexually groomed a Grade 5 pupil at the school during swimming lessons and when he was giving her extra classes.

The girl was between 10 and 11 years old at the time of the alleged incident.

Mahanjana added that the child only realised that what was done to her was wrong after she attended sexual offence classes in 2019.

ALSO READ: Ex-girls school teacher accused of rape and assault granted R10 000 bail

Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba.