Eastern Cape Schoolgirl Assaulted in Viral Video: Public Demands Action as Education Department Launches Investigation.
(The Post News)- Five pupils and a bus driver have been suspended by the Department of Education in Eastern Cape, following a viral video showing a group of boys mocking a schoolgirl while inside a scholar transport and later slapping her multiple times.
The delegation later moved to visit the home of the girl. Community members and various political parties were also there to offer the family and the victim support.
The department will establish a seven day disciplinary committee (DC) to investigate the incident.
This video has sparked debates about the behavior of children at school, school safety and the reintroduction of corporal punishment. While some political parties are calling for the closure of the school until the issue is dealt with but Gade is against that saying the school has over 600 learners who will ba affected.
Speaking to Enca he said ” You can’t suspend the tuition of those five to 600 learners on the basis of the misconduct of the five learners, but law must apply to its logical conclusion.”
Th girls aunt supported the view of the MEC speaking to Enca she said the school must not be closed but the school must help the perpetrators.
“Bullying is one of the risky behaviors, so those children are supposed to be helped, maybe be taken to diversion programs – where they will learn more about bullying. So that they, as kids, get the opportunity to learn as well,” she said.
The department will take further actions against the alleged perpetrators after they receive a report from the DC.
The department in collaboration with the department of Social Development have started to assist the girl and her family. Besides offering psychosocial support the department has also taken the girl to a medical doctor for physical check-up.
“We have taken her to a medical doctor just to check the impact at a physical level, in terms of assessing her,” said Gade
The department is looking into the criminality of the incident
“I have been informed that there is a medical report we must get this afternoon, so that we can see whether the SAPS can then criminalize the affected one,” said Gade.
He added “Because there are two procedures here there is this internal process of the department of education precisely because these are learners but also there is this criminal component which then the justice cluster must be able to articulate. Because beyond being minors they are also citizens of the country.”
The girls aunt said her niece is not ready to go back to school yet as they have noticed she is still showing signs of anxiety.
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