Creche principal in court

Reely alleged to have bitten six-year-old

JOYFUL Noise creche principal Cindy Reely appeared in the King William’s Town Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Reely is alleged to have bitten a six-year-old boy to give him “a taste of his own medicine” after he had bitten another boy in class.

She appeared before presiding magistrate Nkosinathi Mjekula.

State prosecutor Pamela Matinise told the court that copies of the docket were still outstanding.

The prosecutor requested that the matter be postponed to December 11.

Reely, who is out on free bail was warned to appear again on that date.

The Dispatch reported last month about the plight of the boy’s 57-year-old grandmother who believed the state was dragging its feet in charging the creche principal.

The grandmother of the child, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her grandson, said she opened the case in November last year.

The case was referred to mediation to try and solve the matter out of court, but the livid grandmother said she had made it clear that Reely should face the full might of the law.

But to the grandmother’s frustration, police have been dragging their feet in investigating the matter and when she enquired about the status of the probe, she was sent from pillar to post, she told the Saturday Dispatch.

The weeping grandmother said she was shocked when she got home and was shown the teeth marks on the little boy’s arm.

At the time, the grandmother said she had lost faith in the police as they allegedly failed to keep her abreast with developments in the case.

After learning of Reely’s court appearance yesterday, the grandmother, who could not attend the court due to work commitments, said: “I am very happy and pleased, at least there is something happening now. We are moving and we will be there with the child’s mother at the next court appearance.” — zwangam@dispatch.co.za