Dad sues parents of bullies

2008-04-01 09:02

Jeanne-Marie´ Versluis

Pretoria - A father is claiming R150 000 in damages in the Pretoria High Court from the parents of three schoolboys who allegedly bullied his son for months.

According to affidavits, the boy, who was allegedly bullied between October 2005 and July 2006 at Rooihuiskraal Primary School in Centurion, had had to receive medical and psychological treatment, endure derision and mockery, and see his progress at school being impaired.

The child's father laid the claim against the fathers of two of the alleged bullies and against the mother of a third.

The claimant said in his affidavits that the three boys had acted illegally and with a shared, deliberate intent to injure and intimidate his son and hurt his feelings.

He claimed that one or more of the boys had assaulted his son on "numerous occasions" by holding him down, shoving him around and throwing things at him.

The boys apparently had threatened to assault his son, to "moer" him, to "wipe him off the face of the earth" and to "stitch" him.

'Called his mother a bitch'

The father claimed the children had called his son a "motherfucking retard".

They allegedly had played him a song and added that "it was especially for his mother" and said that his mother was "a bitch".

Everything apparently had happened at school in front of various pupils.

The claimant said in his affidavits that his son had "experienced his normal progress and education being impaired" by their behaviour.

His child was "depressed, downcast, passive and unmotivated".

The father also claimed 15.5% interest a year on the claimed amount and the costs of the lawsuit.

- Beeld