Parents to sue education dept
2005-03-30 08:41
Millicent Merton
Cape Town - The parents of a seven-year-old girl are set to sue the Western Cape education department after she was allegedly repeatedly sexually molested at a primary school.
An employee at the school was arrested and has appeared in the Belville magistrate's court.
"What is the department doing to ensure the safety of children at schools? They have become totally lax," said the girl's devastated father. Although the name of the school is known, it is being withheld to protect the girl's identity.
The alleged abuse took place while the girl was supposed to be at the school's after-care centre. The girl's parents were never notified that she had failed to arrive at the centre, and school records indicated that she didn't attend for more than two weeks.
The parents were also unhappy with the police's handling of the case. The suspect was arrested at his home two weeks after the charge was laid.
On the run for eight days
The man was apparently on the run for eight days after members of the unit against child and family violence arrested him at the school, but allowed him to go home to change his clothes.
The suspect was eventually arrested with the help of a police officer of the Ravensmead police station.
A psychologist said the girl would have to receive counselling for the rest of her life.
Meanwhile, the parents are waiting for the three-month Aids window period to pass to determine whether the girl is HIV positive. She is using antiretroviral medicine AZT at the moment, which is making her very ill, said her mother.
The parents have also expressed their displeasure with the lack of support by the school and governing body. The school apparently failed to inform the Education Management and Development Centre (EMDC), and didn't follow the correct procedure.
EMDC director Barry Volschenk confirmed the alleged incident. He said information was still vague at this stage and too early to comment.
Meanwhile, the department has arranged for the child to receive counselling twice a week.
- Die Burger