Pretoria is stunned by revelations of a white male teacher at Prinshof School allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old learner. NotInMyName International (NIMN) has condemned the crime and demands swift legal action. A peaceful demonstration is scheduled outside the school on Monday, 1 September 2025.

The victim’s father raised the alarm after noticing a sharp drop in his daughter’s school performance. When confronted, the teen disclosed she no longer felt safe at school due to the assault. “I am devastated—this happened where my child should be protected,” he said.

Anger among parents is boiling over. One parent, speaking anonymously, warned: “If he hadn’t intervened, this would never have been revealed. What’s wrong with the school’s child protection systems?” Another demanded immediate dismissal of the accused teacher, emphasising the unsafe environment the learner was subjected to.

Prinshof School confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement but declined further comment, citing confidentiality. NIMN blasted the school’s safeguarding failures, noting the case only surfaced through parental vigilance rather than internal systems.

A criminal case has been opened at a Pretoria SAPS station. NIMNI secretary-general Themba Masango called for prompt arrest and prosecution, stressing there should be no delays or preferential treatment.

Gauteng’s Education MEC Matome Chiloane, via spokesperson Steve Mabona, said the department was “gravely concerned” by the allegations.

“The safety of learners is non-negotiable. We will ensure psychosocial support for the child and family, and we expect full cooperation from the school with law enforcement. Where educators are implicated in misconduct, decisive action must be taken,” said Mabona.

This case is not an outlier. Across Gauteng, schools have faced repeated sexual misconduct scandals. In 2023, a Soweto teacher was dismissed after pupils reported inappropriate touching. Earlier this year, a Tembisa high school coach was arrested for allegedly grooming and abusing two learners.
Constitutional law expert Advocate Dikeledi Mokoena said the matter underscores the failure of existing safeguards.

“By law, every school must have reporting protocols, and educators are mandated to report abuse under the Sexual Offences Act. If these systems were ignored or failed, both the school and department may be held accountable,” she explained.

She added that the accused, if convicted, would be automatically listed on the National Register for Sex Offenders, barring him from working with children again.

Activists say the case highlights a systemic failure. Survivor advocate and GBV campaigner Karabo Seabi noted: “Schools are supposed to be sanctuaries. Yet we continue to see children being violated by the very people entrusted to teach and protect them. Survivors carry trauma for life if justice and support are delayed.”

South Africa has some of the highest rates of child sexual abuse globally. A 2018 Optimus Study found over one in three adolescents (35.4%) had experienced some form of sexual abuse in their lifetime. Recent SAPS figures show that nearly 40% of all reported crimes against children in 2022/23 were sexual offenses.

As the demonstration looms, NIMN insists that “this child’s voice must not be silenced.” Masango vowed: “We will stand with her until justice is served—and until schools are truly safe for every child.”

NotInMyName International demands the following:

1. Immediate Arrest and Prosecution: We call upon the SAPS and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to act with speed and diligence to ensure the alleged perpetrator is arrested and faces the full might of the law. There must be no special treatment or delays in the pursuit of justice.
2. Immediate Dismissal of the Perpetrator: We demand that the School Governing Body (SGB) and the Department of Basic Education immediately suspend and subsequently terminate the employment of the accused teacher, pending the outcome of the criminal investigation. He must not be allowed near any other children.
3. Full Cooperation from the School: We call upon the principal and management of Prinshof School to provide their full and unconditional cooperation to law enforcement agencies. Any attempt to obfuscate, delay, or protect the perpetrator will be seen as complicity.
4. Psychosocial Support for the Victim: We demand that the Department of Basic Education and the school provide immediate and ongoing professional psychosocial support for the victim and her family to aid in their healing from this traumatic ordeal.

“We send a clear message: the abuse of power and the violation of our children in places where they should be safest will not be tolerated. #NotInMyName will not stand by while predators in positions of authority prey on the vulnerable. We stand for justice, and we will not rest until it is served,” concluded Masango.