Sex pest teacher: Mom speaks out

Bereaved mother recalled her son's 2022 suicide as a 52-year-old former teacher at the school appeared in court this week on 25 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault of young boys

- Aarti Bhana

n 2022, 19-year-old Julio Mordoh opened up about being sexually molested by a teacher at St John's Preparatory School in Johannesburg. Three weeks after giving his statement to the police, he took his own life.

Mordoh was one of more than 15 boys who were allegedly sexually groomed and violated by a teacher at the school between 2007 and 2013. Most of the boys were aged 10 to 12 years.

"My boy couldn’t withstand the trauma. He took his life three weeks after he gave a statement to the police, and his gift to the other survivors is that he’s been the face so that the other survivors don't have to face any more trauma," Julio's mother, Teresa Mordoh, told the Mail & Guardian this week.

"They are youngsters, they want to get on with their lives, and it has already taken four years to get to this point. We're going to start losing people who are coming forward because it’s just taking too long. That is also not okay."

The 52-year-old former teacher who was employed at the school from 2002 to 2014 made his first appearance at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg this week on 25 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault. The case was postponed to 20 November for pretrial, and Judge Rean Strydom extended the accused's bail.

A past student registered the first case against the former teacher in 2021 for sexual grooming and indecent assault in Johannesburg, but the case was later withdrawn and moved to Marikana, where more alleged victims from different provinces came forward. The matter was eventually centralised in Johannesburg after more students, including some from other schools, reported incidents.

In February 2025, the former teacher was arrested on fresh charges of indecent assault dating back to 2005-2006.

All cases are now consolidated into 25 counts and will be heard at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, investigating officer Heila Niemand told the M&G.