Second-quarter crime statistics for the 2024/25 financial year, released in November last year, show that at least 106 rape incidents occurred at educational institutions countrywide.
These include creches, schools and institutions of higher learning. There are now growing calls to vet people employed at these learning centres.
Between July and September last year – at least 77 rape cases in the country happened on school premises.
20-year-old Lerato, not her real name, recalls how she was raped in the school’s bathroom in Grade 8, allegedly by a fellow pupil.
“Lerato”, rape survivor says, “I could say it really affected me because I was afraid of everyone, so I would be afraid to go to the bathroom alone or just be around boys at school and how it affected my schooling is that I couldn’t concentrate in class.”
Scared and confused by the ordeal, the Tshwane-based woman says she remained silent about the incident until it came back to haunt her years later.
“I would cry everyday but also put a smile on my face so that no one knows what I am going through. When I got home, I made sure that I cry just to make sure that the pain goes away and I went for therapy but when I got to therapy. I did not explain what really happened to me because I was still confused until a year back, I explained to my psychiatrist and another depression got in. So, it was a lot.”
Organisations working to protect children say rape in schools and teenage pregnancies should not be taken lightly. Boitumelo Thage is the founder of Second Chance, an organisation against Gender Based Violence.
“The statistic about teenage pregnancy speak to the fact that these girls are not having sex, they are being raped. So, this speaks to a pandemic whether these are girls going to school to learn or are they safe at school. Hence we are trying to create a safe space and teaching young girls and boys to speak out about what they are faced with at home and at schools.”
According to second-quarter crime statistics for the 2024/25 financial year – about 16 rape cases happened in Gauteng schools.
Gauteng Education says it has a no-nonsense approach when it comes to sexual assault and related crimes.
Spokesperson Steve Mabona, “Any criminality that happens in our space is the duty of the principal and employees to make sure that it is reported. If the child is being harmed by our employees, it is worse. We do not hesitate, we charge. If you check on the previous cases we have dealt with, we have fired educators or our employees who have alleged to have assaulted our children be it sexually or physically so we don’t mince our words on that one.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for more vetting for employees in the Education Department. Democratic Alliance Member of the Provincial Legislature, Michael Waters, previously said it is concerning that some employees have sexual offence-related convictions.
“The discovery that nine school employees had prior convictions for sexual offences is worrying and confirms that our schools are far from safe. The situation also suggests that there may be more sexual offenders in our schools interacting with our learners. The DA will continue for all employees to be vetted against the register.”
With learners starting the academic year soon, many organisations are urging the police and the Education Department to ensure that learners are protected, and perpetrators face the full might of the law.
--SABC--
