Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School rocked by rape scandal
The case is expected to be heard in the first week of April in the Estcourt Magistrate's Court
A former Drakensberg Boys’ Choir School pupil is to go on trial for the alleged rape of a 13-year-old boy. At the time of the assault, the pupil (alleged perpetrator) was 14 years old. The assault took place in October 2018 at the school.
The 13-year-old victim reported the sexual assault to his mother three days after the incident, which took place on a Thursday.
The school never phoned the mother and she only found out about the alleged rape when she arrived at the school on the Saturday.
The mother immediately reported the matter at Winterton police station, with members of the Estcourt Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit immediately responding.
An internal inquiry by the school found that the act was allegedly consensual and according to an email to the mother from Executive Headmaster Mr Greg Brookes, the school wanted to punish both boys.
The story initially broke on ENCA, with the executive headmaster responding to questions and saying they had dealt with the matter appropriately in terms of their code of conduct. He reportedly added that the school would co-operate with the investigation. Read ENCA report here
The NPA (prosecuting authority), on reviewing the evidence, instructed the Estcourt prosecutor to charge the 14-year-old with rape instead of sexual assault.
The case is expected to be heard in the first week of April in the Estcourt Magistrate’s Court.
The Ladysmith Gazette is aware of the names of the victim, the accused and the mother, but in accordance with SA law, minors cannot be identified in any way when it comes to any court proceedings.
See the full story in this week’s edition of the Ladysmith Gazette.
This story has been updated.
Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
