New child sex shock hits Plett

Schoolteacher charged with assaulting little boy as list of Garden Route cases increases

A STRING of shocking cases of sexual abuse of children on the Garden Route has again been highlighted after a teacher was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy at his school.

The Plettenberg Bay community has been rocked by this latest claim of child sex abuse which follows a worrying number of crimes against children in the usually tranquil holiday town over the past six months.

There have been several others on the Garden Route in the past year.

The latest incident has also underscored the vast disparity between the number of Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit officers in a large region – only 17 – and that of a city like Port Elizabeth which has more than 60.

The 42-year-old primary school teacher, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, appeared briefly in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court yesterday following his arrest at his home on Monday evening.

He stared straight ahead as several family members, friends and community members packed the gallery.

His appearance comes after a Grade 2 pupil’s guardian reported the alleged incidents to police.

Police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie said the guardian suspected something was wrong when the boy suddenly started wetting his bed.

“She decided to interview the boy who told her that the suspect had [allegedly] sexually assaulted him on two occasions in May at a swimming pool and at school respectively.”

A case docket was opened earlier this month, Pojie said.

The case was later handed over to the George FCS unit. The court case was postponed to July 2 for a bail application. State prosecutor Henriette Breedt indicated that she would be opposing bail.

The suspect, who is being represented by attorney John Gillespie, will remain in custody until his next court appearance.

-Yolande Stander