Parents demand answers after alleged sexual assault incident at Cape Town primary school

“We all cried”: families shaken by shocking incident

What was meant to be a normal school week in Cape Town turned into heartbreak and confusion for two families after an alleged sexual assault incident involving two eight-year-old children.

The parents of both pupils met detectives at the school on Monday, in what they described as a deeply emotional meeting. “The other parent was also very emotional when she found out about her son. She was in disbelief. We all cried. We felt sorry for her too,” one father told reporters.

According to investigators, the alleged assault took place behind a tree on the school premises, with three child witnesses confirming what happened.

Parents blindsided by lack of communication

For the affected parents, the trauma has been compounded by what they see as the school’s poor handling of the matter. They say they only learned the full extent of the incident from their child later that evening.

“The school just called to say something had happened, but they gave us no details. We had to go to the police ourselves and take our child to a gender-based violence clinic,” the father said.

A week later, the parents say they still haven’t received clarity from the principal or teachers. “Honestly, we feel the same way we did last week. We don’t know what’s going on. The principal didn’t even look at us,” the father added.

The family has now decided to transfer their child to a new school.

WCED confirms investigation

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) confirmed that police visited the school this week.

“SAPS were at the school this morning to investigate. This is an ongoing investigation. Counselling support is being provided. These are serious allegations that need to be dealt with in a sensitive manner,” said WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond.

The bigger picture: child protection and trauma

Experts stress that both the alleged victim and the child accused of the assault will need long-term support. Dr Shaheda Omar, clinical director at the Teddy Bear Foundation, said the effects of sexual assault on children are severe and lasting.

“When children are exposed to sexual assault, they become traumatised and experience fear, confusion, panic, and guilt. Both the victim and the initiator require psychosocial support,” she explained.

She added that under the Child Justice Act, children under 12 are diverted away from the criminal justice system to avoid further trauma. Instead, the focus is on restorative justice, where counselling, mediation, and support are given to both families.

A community shaken

The case has raised alarm among Cape Town parents, with many taking to local WhatsApp groups and social media to voice their fears. Some demanded tighter supervision at schools, while others called for better training for teachers to handle such sensitive cases.

“Schools are supposed to be safe spaces,” one mother commented on a local Facebook group. “If we can’t trust that, then where can our children feel safe?”

Breaking the cycle

Child protection advocates argue that while this incident is devastating, it also highlights the urgent need for early intervention and education around consent, boundaries, and appropriate behavioureven in primary schools.

As one activist noted: “We need to protect victims while also making sure children who act out like this don’t go on to become perpetrators later in life. That’s the only way to break the cycle of abuse.”

For the families involved, however, the focus remains on healing. “We just want our son to be supported and safe,” the father said quietly.

{Source: IOL}

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