*Allegedly assaulted girl in 2018 but was never suspended
A teacher at Salajwe Primary School is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old pupil at his school.
Standing trial before a special Gender Based Violence court in Molepolole last week, Mothusi Mathakgong was charged with indecent assault.
Commonly known as Balth, the 41-year-old Standard 7 teacher is said to have assaulted the young girl back on 14 September 2018.
The Kanye native reportedly fondled the child’s buttocks and breasts before forcing her to touch his manhood. He is then said to have inserted his finger inside the girl’s vagina whilst making ‘romantic advances’.
Although the matter was reported two days after it happened, Mathakgong was not arraigned before court until May 2019. It appears he was never suspended either.
Testifying before court, an ex-colleague of the accused, Gaone Mokgaoganyi said the incident took place after the complainant and suspect went catching doves together.
“The victim told me that Mathakgong called her from home to help him catch the doves. After catching the doves they left them to fly. Mathakgong then touched her breasts and buttocks before inserting his finger in her vagina,” stated Mokgaoganyi, who has since been transferred to Sebele Primary School in Molepolole.
According to Mokgaoganyi, because the incident occurred on a Saturday and as she was alone at the teachers’ squatters, she waited till Monday morning to report the issue to the school head.
The school head and her deputy are said to have called Mathakgong to the office. However, according to a source at the school, he was never suspended and continues teaching at Salajwe to this day.
The complainant’s guardian also told the court the child claimed Mathakgong went to her a second time while she was at home and begged her to open for him but she refused, fearing he would force her to have sex.
It is further alleged the bespectacled educator later approached the girl and begged forgiveness.
Court also heard that the teenager, who was doing Standard 5 at the time of the incident, became distracted and lost interest in her studies soon after the suspected assault.
Now aged 16, the child has since become a mother, although Mathakgong is not suspected to be the father.
He remains out on bail, with his trial set to continue next month.
