Fannie Masemola in Eastern Cape, Instructs Head of FCS Unit To Intervene in Bergview College Rape

• Senior members of the South African Police Service descended on the Eastern Cape, following the public outcry caused by the Bergview College rape incident
• A learner from the school was raped allegedly on the school premises and the National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, is in the province
• The police are on a fact finding mission, and AfriForum recently denied that the rape happened at the school
• Gareth Newham, the Head of the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme from the Institute for Security Studies spoke to Briefly News

With nine years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

MATATIELE, EASTERN CAPE — The South African Police Service's top officials visited Matatiele in the Eastern Cape where a seven year-old Bergview College learner was raped allegedly on the school's premises. The visit followed intense backlash from the public over how the police reportedly handled the case.

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Why is SAPS involved?

According to Eyewitness News, National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola is also in the province. He instructed the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations Unit Head to intervene. This was after a public outcry that the police had not been handling the case properly. AfriForum accused the police of abusing the process when they asked for the principal's DNA sample.

According to National Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the head of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Investigations Unit (FCS) and the investigating team are sifting through the docket verification process. This will determine what steps were taken in the case.

They will also ensure that the Eastern Cape SAPS took statements from key witnesses and conducted interviews with persons of interest involved in the case. They will then prepare a report for the Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu. Mchunu confirmed that the police are investigating three suspects related to the incident.

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What happened at Bergview College?

The little girl's rape case went viral in late March after the victim's mother went on a podcast and talked about the incident. She said that the incident happened on 14 October on the school premises. She said her daughter came back home and complained of a painful behind.

Upon investigation, the parents found that she was severely violated. They notified the police before taking her to the hospital. She also alleged that the school was uncooperative and refused to report the case to the Eastern Cape's Education Department. However, AfriForum's Head of Private Prosecutions Unit, Gerrie Nel, insisted that the rape did not take place on the school's premises.

Briefly News speaks to expert

Gareth Newham, the Head of the Justice and Violence Prevention Programme from the Institute for Security Studies spoke to Briefly News.

"Any person who knows of a sexual offence that has been committed against a child has a legal duty to report it to the police. Failure to do so is an offence an this aspect should always be investigated by the police in cases where a minor has been victimised," he said.

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AfriForum denies Bergview College rape incident happened at school, questions parents' recollection

What you need to know about the Bergview College case

• AfriForum slammed the South African Police Service for asking Pieterse to provide a buccal sample
• Not in My Name condemned the little girl's rape and called on the police to ensure that justice is delivered swiftly
• Steve Letsike, the deputy Minister of women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, blasted AfriForum and accused them of representing a suspect

AfriForum denies that the rape happened at Bergview College

In a related article, Briefly News reported that AfriForum's Gerrie Nel disputed claims that the little girl was raped on the school premises. He wrote a letter to the Matatiele Police Station to object to the claims.

He also provided a timeline of the events and questioned the victim's mother's recollection. He added that Pieterse cooperated with the police, which was contrary to the claims the mother reportedly made.

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Source: Briefly News