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TimesLIVE Premium reports that a West Rand schoolteacher accused of raping a 16-year-old girl at gunpoint, who snubbed disciplinary action by refusing to attend a hearing, has been found guilty, fired and registered as a sex offender.
When contacted on the instruction of the Education Labour Relations Council, the teacher, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, said he was not interested in attending an inquiry and had no interest in defending the allegations made against him by the girl. He failed to attend the pre-hearing meeting, and when given a second chance, continued to ignore communications and declined to answer calls.
The child alleged that the teacher taught her isiZulu since grade 8 and she knew him well. However, when she was in grade 11 he attacked her, sexually assaulted her, raped her and threatened her at gunpoint at school in February this year. The hearing went ahead in the teacher’s absence. A Gauteng education department representative told the hearing that the teacher's actions appeared to have been “like a hunting lion” in that he had planned his actions before preying on the girl.
The arbitrator ruled that Gauteng education had proven the case and the teacher had demonstrated “a lack of remorse for this appalling and heinous offence” and brazen disregard for the outcome. She ordered that he be dismissed, registered as a sex offender in terms of the Children's Act and declared unsuitable to work with children. A criminal case is proceeding.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Gill Gifford at TimesLIVE Premium (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page