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Mpumalanga police cannot confirm allegations that Grade 11 Hoërskool Kriel pupil Bafana Sithole had been falsely accused of rape.
- Mpumalanga police are unable to confirm allegations that a pupil who died by suicide had been falsely accused of rape.
- Bafana Sithole died by suicide in a classroom on 17 November.
- Since then, allegations on the rape claim have been flying thick and fast on social media.
Mpumalanga police could not confirm allegations that a Grade 11 Hoërskool Kriel pupil who died by suicide had been falsely accused of raping a fellow pupil.
Bafana Sithole died in a classroom on 17 November, and police as well as the provincial education department are investigating the circumstances that led to his death.
Allegations emerged on social media that a fellow pupil accused Sithole of rape but that she later retracted her claim and said it was a joke.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, however, said police did not have any information to indicate that a pupil admitted that she had falsely accused Sithole of rape.
"So, we cannot say that the girl falsely accused the boy," Mohlala added.
He said the investigation would continue.
Meanwhile, calls for justice for Sithole, under the hashtag #JusticeforBafana, have been made on social media along with a petition calling for the girl to be brought to book. A picture of the minor girl was posted.
READ | Probes launched after Mpumalanga pupil, 17, dies in classroom
However, according to social media law expert Emma Sadleir, children "in conflict with the law" and convicted people under the age of 18 cannot be identified.
She said children have the full capacity to commit a criminal offence from the age of 14 but even if a child is found guilty of a crime, they will not be able to be named until the day they turn 18.
"It's not for the public interest to name and shame a minor," she said, adding that defamation law also requires that posts be "true and for the benefit of the public".
According to a researcher from the University of Johannesburg, Lisa Vetten, it is important that matters involving minors be handled with care and sensitivity.
Vetten added:
People need to remember that she is still a child. She still has a life ahead of her, and we need to help her learn from her actions and ensure that she is able to put her life back together.
"When this thing is all over social media, it will mean that in 15 years, people might be able to google her and find this. There must be another way of handling this issue differently from how one would deal with an adult. [It] must be done in a way that she can be reincorporated back into society and not carry this for the rest of her life," she said.
Earlier in the week, the Commission of Gender equality conveyed its condolences to Sithole's family.
In a statement, commission spokesperson Javu Baloyi said they were saddened by Sithole's death and implored police ensure that justice takes its course.
"We are also aware that the Department of Education has indicated they will determine the course of action to be undertaken as soon as it receives a report from the investigation team, while the police have opened an inquest into the cause of death of the pupil."
Baloyi added that the commission would monitor the police and departmental investigations, as well as the inquest.
The commission encouraged men and boys to open cases after any form of abuse, harassment and/ or bullying.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, you can contact the SA Depression and Anxiety Group's (Sadag) 24-hour mental health helpline at 0800 456 789; Sadag's WhatsApp counselling line, which operates from 09:00 to 16:00, at 076 882 2775, the SA Federation for Mental Health at 011 781 1852 and LifeLine South Africa at 0861 322 322.
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