Trial of police officer accused of molesting pupils at a school he was investigating postponed

Anti-abuse group Women and Men against Child Abuse is hoping an investigator in the police’s Family Violence, Child Protection and S.e.xual Offences Unit, who allegedly s.e.xually abused children while providing them with support at a primary school, will be removed.

“We just want for this case – even if it does not reach a point of sentencing because of the previous history of the other case – we would like that this person no longer works in a unit where they can even be alleged to be abusing children because it is still allegations to this point until the court comes to a decision,” its advocacy manager, Ngaa Murombedzi, told News24 on Tuesday.

The group attended the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Monday for what was intended to be the beginning of the trial but it was subsequently postponed to January 2021.

News24 earlier reported in March 2018 that an investigator assigned to the case was arrested for allegedly molesting two Grade 3 pupils aged seven and eight.

The accused cannot be named as his victims are minors.

The accused was tasked with investigating allegations that 87 pupils were allegedly s.e.xually assaulted by a security guard at AB Xuma Primary School.

“It is distressing and disheartening that an officer of that department took advantage of young children he was allotted to assess and help through an already ongoing s.e.xual abuse case,” Murombedzi said.

In addition, a security guard at the school, who was on trial for three counts of rape and 11 counts of s.e.xual assault, was acquitted in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in 2018.

The court found the State had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the scholar patrol guard had s.e.xually assaulted the pupils – aged between five and 13 – at the primary school in Soweto in 2017.

Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the accused was facing charges of rape and s.e.xual assault but one complainant had put through a withdrawal statement.

“The complainant for s.e.xual assault withdrew and now the accused is facing the charges of rape only, he appeared in court and the matter was postponed to the 14th and 15th of January 2021,” she told News24 on Wednesday.

-The Citizen

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