Mpumalanga teacher accused of sexual assault applies for bail

A 37-year-old teacher is expected to appear at the Volksrust Magistrate’s Court on Monday, on a sexual assault charge, Mpumalanga News reports.

The alleged assault was reported last week, after a 12-year-old learner was found to have been sexually molested at a school in Volksrust.

READ MORE: Compromising photo surfaces of schoolteacher and learner in bedroom

According to information from police, the teacher is alleged to have touched the victim inappropriately several times since the beginning of the year.

“All this was uncovered when the learner started to perform poorly in class, and it emerged that it was as a result of the alleged unbecoming conduct by the teacher, who also made innuendos to the learner that if she wants to progress in her studies, she should allow him to touch her anywhere,” said police spokesman Col Mtsholi Bhembe.

“After having noticed the change in the behaviour of the learner as well as the alleged conduct by the teacher, the matter was reported to the police and the suspect was arrested. He appeared in court on 20 June 2016, but was remanded in custody pending a formal bail application on Monday, ” added Bhembe.

While the community was still reeling in shock about the incident, news broke that another 12-year-old learner had also submitted a statement to the police against the same teacher, in which she alleges she also suffered the same fate as the first victim.

The police have also instituted a probe on the second incident, and suspect that more victims may come forward.

The Provincial Commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma commended the teachers for being observant and called for other learners who may have been preyed upon by the suspect to come forward.

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