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A 29-year-old teacher in South Africa has been denied bail after being accused of raping a 12-year-old primary school student, IOL reports.
Bongani Timothy Ntuli was arrested on 18 May, after the Grade Six student’s mother noticed her son acting differently, and realised that there was money missing from her bank account. The boy reportedly told her he’d bought the teacher a PlayStation 4 so that he’d “stop bullying him”.
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“Ntuli is facing a charge of raping a Grade [Six] learner from his school,” said Lumka Mahanjana, Gauteng’s regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority. “It is alleged on 5 May 2022, the mother of the 12-year-old boy noticed some behavioural changes in the child, as he was not eating his favourite food.”
Reportedly, feeling concerned, the boy’s mother decided to share a bed with her son that night (5 May), and noticed that as well as struggling to sleep, he was bleeding.
“The following day, the mother noticed that money was withdrawn from her account, and when she confronted him, he informed the mother that he took the money to buy the teacher a PlayStation 4, for him to stop bullying him,” Mahanjana continued. “The mother reported the matter to the police and Ntuli was arrested on 18 May 2022.”
Ntuli apparently asked to be released on bail, but was denied. The prosecution allegedly told the court that releasing him would not be “in the interest of justice”, adding that the teacher hadn’t been suspended at the school, and may still be a threat.
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“Therefore, no exceptional circumstances were warranting his release on bail,” said Mahanjana. “The magistrate, denied his bail, saying that the accused did not satisfy the court that it was in the interest of justice that he should be released on bail.”
The matter has been postponed until 13 June.
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