JOHANNEBURG SOUTH – GRADE 6 learners, Dillon Botha (12) was kicked, punched and trampled by nine fellow learners at a school in the South of Johannesburg on Tuesday October 14.
He said they were playing soccer when the grade sevens came to ask if they could join them. While playing they introduced a game where the person with the ball between his legs will be ‘punched’ playfully.
“We played well until the ball was in my legs. Then nine learners from grade 5, 6 and 7 came to me and I was assaulted; kicked, punched and trampled while I was lying down. I ran to the teachers for help, however I fell just in front of the teachers and they came and continue to assault me. The teachers reprimanded the learners,” explained Dillon.
His father, Marius, said he went to Moffatview police station to open a case of assault, but he didn’t get much joy there. “At first the police did not want to open the case, saying ‘It was just children playing’. What if my son was kicked in the head and died? Would it be just children playing? They eventually opened the case, I also have a medical certificate. I want to appeal to parents to please condemn this kind of behaviour from their children,” pleaded Mr Botha.
A disciplinary hearing will be conducted by the school governing body for the nine learners involved. The principal disapproves of this game.
“Apparently the game is played in other schools as well. I strongly criticise it, because it ends in tears. We do not condone it in our school and other schools as well. We will put measures in place so that it won’t happen again, and the culprits will be disciplined,” the principal confirmed.
Also the Gauteng Department of Education condemn the act of the these learners.
Watch the father speaking about the assault.
