News24.com | Two murders, 13 rapes reported at Western Cape schools in just three months

Several rape and murder cases were reported at Western Cape schools in the last few months.

• Police have recorded 13 rapes at Western Cape schools in just three months.
• Ten of the victims were younger than 18.
• Two murder cases, one of them a four-year-old girl, were opened during the same period.

At least 13 people were raped at educational institutions in the Western Cape over three months, according to the latest quarterly crime statistics. Another two children were murdered at schools during the same period.

During a briefing on Tuesday, police revealed that they had received 13 rape reports between July and September at educational institutions in the province. Of these, three were women, six were girls and four were boys younger than 18.

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The incidents took place in the Mbekweni, Steenberg, Bredasdorp, Stellenbosch, Athlone, Mitchells Plain, Belhar, Kuils River, and Lansdowne precincts.

Two murder cases were opened: one in connection with the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy during a fight at Ikaya Primary School in Kayamandi, and another after a four-year-old girl was found strangled at Paarl East Kleine Nederburg Primary School.

During the three-month period, 55 children were murdered across the province. There were another 91 attempted murders and 353 assaults with intent to do grievous bodily harm opened for the same period.

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Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the department's numbers differed from those of the police, as they were based on reports to the Safe Schools Programme.

She said the only fatality recorded by the department was last year, in which a pupil was killed in a gang-related incident after hours.

She said there had been 10 alleged rapes reported this year, compared to one case last year.

Hammond said:

She added that teachers are subject to the SACE code of professional ethics, and the disciplinary and reporting procedures that follow as a result of any contraventions. The Employment of Educators Act allows the department to take action against any staff member who engages in abusive behaviour.

Hammond added that there were also procedures to be followed in the event that a pupil reported any abuse and that the province was the only one with a Safe Schools hotline to report abuse.

There are also several curriculum interventions that have been implemented by the WCED to educate pupils on gender-based violence and sexual abuse.

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Child protection expert Joan van Niekerk said pupils often learnt violent behaviour at home. Because it becomes internalised, children then use it to feel powerful in situations in which they feel out of control.

She said schools could play a central role in educating teachers, parents and children about violence and bullying and she advised schools to implement anti-bullying policies from Grade R.

Van Niekerk suggested including children in developing these policies to increase their participation. Schools also needed to have strong policies in place to deal with any allegations of violence against pupils, teachers and parents, she said.

She added:

Van Niekerk further advocated that children be taught about parenting as early as possible to allow them to break their stereotypes of parents before they start a family.

"We need to look at every level of our society to create change," she added.