From being a bubbly child who shared everything with her mother, an allegedly sexually abused teenager now isolates herself from her and her friends and family. This is how the life of a 15-year-old girl has changed after her alleged abuse at the hands of a school principal, who has been arrested and placed on suspension. The teen’s 42-year-old mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her child, said the incident happened last month at a private boarding school in Harrismith in the Free State.
It is alleged that the headmaster, 50, summoned the child to his office, and when she arrived, he asked for a hug. They then went to an old office block where he allegedly touched her inappropriately. The teen’s mother said the harassment of her daughter started during term two when the headmaster on several occasions asked her child about her virginity status.
However, when she went to his office there was other staff members present and the principal told her to go back and said he would call her later on. “Later, he called her through the res lady, and as soon as they were in the office, the principal asked for a hug, but my daughter politely refused,” the mother said. Later, he called her through the res lady, and as soon as they were in the office, the principal asked for a hug, but my daughter politely refused The principal allegedly didn’t take no for an answer and instructed her to go to an old office block on the premises, where he started touching her private parts.
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The child later told her friends about her ordeal and they advised her to tell her parents in Johannesburg. The parents immediately drove about 280km to the school. The mother said they met with the principal, who conceded he said inappropriate things to the girl. The mother alleges that local police seemed hesitant to open a case against the principal.
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