JOHANNESBURG - Following an eNCA report into the alleged sexual assault of a seven-year-old at Marist Brothers Linmeyer, more current and former pupils have come forward.
The school said it is deeply concerned and is moving to appoint independent legal counsel to investigate the claims.
The allegations involve different pupils and different time periods, but they all raise one question.
What happens when a pupil reports a safety issue?
The school insisted its safety systems work, but those coming forward disagree.
The Gauteng Education Department has confirmed it's looking into the separate sexual assault involving the seven-year-old eNCA previously reported on.
Gauteng SAPS also confirmed an investigation is underway, with which the school said it would fully cooperate with.
For one mother, hearing about sexual assault allegations at Marist Brothers Linmeyer has reopened wounds dating back four years.
Her daughter was a matric pupil at the school in 2022 and alleges a classmate and senior prefect sexually assaulted her.
“This boy touched her vagina and my daughter was scared and wanted to know why are you doing this to me. Again this boy just laughed it off. He just laughed and my daughter ran away. And he did it again, on the third time, he groped her again. This time again, my daughter went to tell the teacher and then that teacher told her to make a written statement to the principal.”
The mother said the matter was taken up with the school, but believes it failed in its response.
“You have to deal with a child who will have to think twice before going to school. Feeling unsafe, in the school premises where all children should be feeling safe because the adults should put systems in place to deal with these cases. What was worse was because she still had to face this boy everyday because they were in the same class. We felt like the school’s justice system failed us in a bad way.”
Marist Brothers Linmeyer responded to eNCA saying it has zero tolerance for sexual abuse, sexual harassment and bullying.
It said its Code of Conduct includes a comprehensive sexual-harassment policy that all pupils sign each year.
Officials said its safeguarding policies have been reviewed and strengthened.
"We are dismayed and deeply concerned to be informed by eNCA that it has received allegations from current and past students at the senior school relating to alleged sexual misconduct, harassment and/or the school’s handling of learner-safety matters.
"The school can confirm that no incidents of such misconduct have been reported on the iBelong platform, the school’s anonymous reporting system for safeguarding incidents since it was established this year.
"The 2022 incident that has been raised by eNCA refers to events which occurred and were dealt with by previous senior school management. The school is currently examining our archived records in relation to both the 2022 and 2023 incidents to determine the facts relating to these incidents," the statement reads in part.
Following the allegations eNCA brought to its attention, the school said it is appointing independent legal counsel to investigate.
This could examine whether the school's previous safeguarding policies and disciplinary processes may have fallen short of the standards it sets for itself.
Marist Brothers Linmeyer maintains it remains confident in its safeguarding systems.
But said it will look at ways of encouraging pupils to report sexual harassment and other safety concerns, to ensure their voices are heard.
For those speaking out, the independent investigation could finally test not only what happened, but whether the school did enough after they reported it.
eNCA’s Nabeelah Shaikh reports in the video above.