TEACHERS ACQUITTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

Victim claimed she was 'manipulated' by brothers

- GENEVIEVE SERRA

AS A SOUTH Peninsula High School teacher and his brother, who is now retired, were acquitted of sexual assault charges relating to a learner more than 20 years ago, the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) is encouraging victims of abuse to report cases to their Safer Schools Call Centre.

Just weeks ago, the current teacher's lawyer, John Riley, successfully brought a Section 174 application to have the matter discharged. A parallel case was opened against the teacher's brother, who was also a teacher at the same school, now retired, to which the court also discharged the matter.

The cases were brought by a former learner of the brothers, who claimed she was sexually assaulted by them between 2000 to 2003, while she was between the ages of 15 and 19 years old.

The woman is now 40 years old and opened the cases in 2023, 20 years after she matriculated, claiming she had a “relationship” with both men while being a learner at the school.

She claimed she had been manipulated because she was a minor.