'Moffie' beaten up at school

2005-08-28 21:56

Pieter du Toit

Pretoria - They called him a "moffie" when he arrived at school and during second break beat him up.

Theo Bosman, 16, a Gr 8 pupil at Montana High School in the northern suburbs of Pretoria, was beaten and kicked so badly in the school yard that he suffered concussion, his neck went into a spasm and a doctor booked him off sick for two days.

"One of my classmates called me a moffie on Wednesday. When I asked him why he called me that, he hit me on the chest and said I would 'shit' during second break.

"When I went to buy a Coke and pie during second break, he knocked the food out of my hands. Then one of the older, bigger kids bashed our heads together."

Theo then fell to the ground after being hit in the face by a classmate.

Stomach

"I was lying on my stomach when he hit me against the head and kneed me. The onlookers then joined in and kicked me. I don't know how long this lasted, but there were at least eight pupils involved.

"Some of the guys and their girlfriends stood watching."

After the assault, Bosman got up and washed his face before going to the principal's office.

His mother, Salome, fetched him from school and took him to a doctor.

The police didn't want them to lay an assault charge, because it would have been "childish", said Bosman.

"What do we do now?" she said on Sunday. "Should we leave it and hope it never happens again?

"Even the principal said he wouldn't have left it at that if his child was involved, and neither would I.

"Fortunately the school knows who the suspects are and I have been assured that something will be done about the assault."

Parents

Neither the school, nor Bosman have been able to contact the parents of Theo's attackers.

"The school promised to provide their physical addresses on Monday if they had still not been reacted to messages," Bosman said.

Theo, who had to write an English exam on Monday, was too afraid to go to school.

"I want to go to another school. Everybody is angry with me for not fighting back. I'm afraid they will make fun of me because of it."

The principal was not available for comment.

- Beeld