Boy, 17, tells of code of silence

A former Parktown Boys pupil has testified about how former water polo coach, Collan Rex, assaulted him and other boys several times. He added that they were reluctant to report the assault because of the school’s code of silence.

At the High Court in Johannesburg, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court yesterday, a 17-year-old boy, who left the school following the assault, said he had seen Rex licking, choking and biting other boys.

“He was always doing something aggressive to somebody. He was trying to be dominant to us,” the boy said.

He described an incident when Rex assaulted him: “The one night my mom couldn’t pick me up and he invited me to play Xbox and while I was sitting in the bed he said: ‘I didn’t f***k you hard enough on tour’.

He said Rex then “dry humped” him while holding his legs up in the air. “He would do a pelvic thrust against my bum and would stop when I fought back.”

The boy said despite being aware that what Rex was doing was inappropriate, he did not report him because they were told to stop “snitching”.

Defence lawyer William Robertse said the boy didn’t report it because it didn’t happen.

“At Parktown, we were always told to keep quiet if things happened. In Grade 8 camp, we were told about a code of silence or you [were] going to be the snitch of the grade.”

The boy added that he didn’t tell his mother because previously she brought up a matter with the head of the hostel, and he was beaten up by other pupils.

Earlier, state prosecutor Arveena Persad called a 16-yearold Grade 11 boy who began schooling at Parktown Boys in 2015, to testify. The boy said he knew Rex because he was a hostel master at the school at some stage.

“Mr Rex used to choke me for asking permission for working with my friends. He said if I was able to make him tap out he would allow me to work with my friends.”

The trial continues.