Retired principal admits to raping pupils 30 years later

Until recently, the victim of 61-year-old retired principal Richard Second had believed that his rapist and former teacher had died.

Sunday Times reports that the victim, who is now in his late-40s and has been living in the US since 1996 found out last Monday from a Facebook friend that Second was still alive after he found a picture of him on social media.

Second was an art teacher at Dale College Boys’ Primary School in King William’s Town, in the Eastern Cape in the early 1980s when the rape of the then 12-year-old, standard 5 pupil allegedly occurred.

The publication details a string of emails beginning on October 22 when the victim wrote to Second, stating “you may have forgotten who I am but I am haunted by the mere thought of you, and have been ever since you came to my bed that one night and then took me to your room and sexually violated and raped me. I was 12 years old! You took advantage of me and in sexually assaulting me, you effectively destroyed my youth and life forever. You were my art teacher and I used to love art. Used to love spending time in your room building sculptures. I have hated art and sculpting ever since.”

Like many victims, the former pupil told the publication that the had not initially reported the incident because he blamed himself.

However, after finding out that Second was not dead, he sent a sworn statement to the police’s family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit in Mossel Bay (where Second currently resides) on Thursday 1 November.

Second, who retired as principal of Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School in Queenstown in February, confirmed that the e-mails seen by the Sunday Times were authentic.

Although Second admits in one e-mail that the victim’s account of what happened “is very accurate,” Sunday Times reports that he told the publication he had not raped the boy. Instead, he admitted to fondling him and another pupil.

In various other e-mails, Second went on to make admissions to things such as choosing the victim because he was “trusting of me, all alone and vulnerable,” being involved in a “relationship” with another pupil that he described as “more intense” and that what he did was sickening.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Capt Malcolm Pojie told the publication that an indecent assault and sodomy case had been registered and the docket would be transferred to King William’s Town as the alleged offences had taken place there.

As a result of the Constitutional Court’s June ruling which allows for sexual assault offences to no longer prescribe (become unenforceable) after 20 years, Second could be among the first alleged sex offenders in the country to be prosecuted for a sexual assault that took place several decades ago.

Following the explosive revelation, Second’s former place of employment promised to institute an awareness campaign for parents and students of their school.

“The school will institute a heightened awareness campaign and past and current learners and parents will be provided with contact details,” chairman of the governing body of Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School Brendan Raasch told Sunday Times.

(Compiled by Kaunda Selisho)

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