Mom shocked at ‘assault’9 of son at Point High
A Mossel Bay mom told of her shock and anger after her son was alleged surrounded by 15 boys and attacked in a corridor at Point High School on Friday, 12 October.
Karen Julies said it was alleged her son, who had been walking with a friend, was held by one or more of the boys and punched in the eye and on the back of the head. Julies preferred not to give the names of her son and his friend.
She said her child's eye swelled up and turned blue and he suffered "bad headaches" after the attack. "Not only that; he was also traumatised," Julies said.
He had not wanted to return to school.
Headmaster
Julies said she and her son's friend's parents had been to see the school headmaster. "We were angry and we wanted answers." She said she had come away relieved after the meeting and satisfied with the way the headmaster had dealt with it. "Immediately after we left, we heard him calling the boys in question to his office."
Julies shook her head in despair when interviewed by the Mossel Bay Advertiser and said: "These boys are going to be next year's matrics."
She described her son, aged 17 and in Grade 11, as "very homely".
Julies said: "He's never had enemies. He's not a trouble maker. He's doing well at school." The incident is alleged to have happened at about 10:00 on Friday, 12 October.
Julies said a video had been taken of the incident on a cellphone and this video had been circulated. She and her son went to the Mossel Bay Police Station on the evening of 12 October to open an "assault case", she said. "It's all a big shock," she said. Mossel Bay Police Station spokesperson Wo Pieter Koekemoer confirmed that Julies' son had laid cases against two boys who had allegedly assaulted him.
According to Julies, on the day before the incident her son had been standing on the steps leading to the entrance of the school. A learner who had a girlfriend with him, said: "Do you want to fight?"
Julies' son replied: "No. I don't have a beef with you."
Questions
The Mossel Bay Advertiser put several questions to the principal of Point High School, Adolf Gouws, regarding the safety of learners, whether there are CCTV cameras in the passages, whether the school governing body had been notified and whether the boys responsible would be expelled from the school.
Concern was expressed to Gouws that such a large number of boys were allegedly complicit in the incident and had not tried to defend the two alleged victims.
Questions were put to him regarding the school rule book and whether the school governing body would be involved in deciding on the disciplinary action necessary.
Gouws replied to the Mossel Bay Advertiser in a statement, which read: "At this stage, I cannot answer your questions as we are in the process of investigating the incident.
"A number of allegations are being made. Some of these have no substance.
"Talks were held with the parents of the learners involved. The members of the governing body are aware of the incident.
"As soon as the investigation has been completed, all those learners involved will appear before a disciplinary committee and they will be dealt with in accordance with the school’s disciplinary code.
Gouws concluded: "This is an isolated incident and I can assure you that the learners’ safety is of utmost importance to us."