Durban — A Clermont teacher facing six counts of rape is due to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court again on Monday to enable the defence to provide its representations to the prosecution ahead of the trial.
The 55-year-old man, who had been employed at the high school since 2008, was arrested on the premises last year and is alleged to have committed the alleged rapes there.
The mother of one of the victims said that with nearly a year gone, her child was now focused on her schooling as she was in Grade 12 and felt that having such a long period of time elapse before the trial could hinder her performance at school.
“I am fed-up with this case now. My daughter is now focused on her school work, wanting to do her best, especially with midyear exams around the corner. It will be a hindrance on her plans to do well in the exams should she then now, in the middle of it, have to go and testify in court,” said the mother.
The man was granted R5 000 bail in May last year with the condition that he relocates to his chosen alternative address in northern KZN.
In the first count of rape, the teacher allegedly penetrated his 17-year-old victim more than once on March 16.
He is further alleged, on that same day, to have penetrated her. In count 3, it is alleged that on January 19, the accused raped a 17-year-old victim more than once.
Six days thereafter, it is alleged that the man raped the same victim. He is also charged with exposing himself to a 17-year-old victim at the school in 2021. And in February, he is alleged to have molested another 17-year-old and raped the victim more than once.
The man is alleged to have repeated this in March with the same victim. He also faces a charge of sexual grooming of a child in relation to another 17-year-old.
The victim’s mother said the last time she had attended the trial was in February, and even then, she had waited outside the regional court, and the matter was not called.
The matter, in fact, had been moved to another regional court upstairs, where it proceeded, and the man’s defence was provided with the further particulars of the matter it had requested from the State before it could make the representations it was going to make on Monday.
“We just want the trial to be dealt with as soon as possible and speedily so that my child can move on from the ordeal. It is not pleasant knowing that she will have to relive the incident as she retells in court nearly after a year. I also have to take time off work to attend the court and have pay docked for that day.”
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