The father of a schoolgirl who was viciously assaulted on video has described how he felt helpless as the police and the girl's school refused to take action against the perpetrator. In an interview with The Times on Thursday night, the father of the girl, whose name has been withheld, said he ultimately decided to take the girl out of the school.
The video went viral last week, although it has now emerged that it was taken in November last year. On Thursday, the KwaZulu-Natal education department named Siyathuthuka High School in Inanda as the school concerned. The department told The Times an investigation into the incident was ongoing.
The girl's father said no one was prepared to help him when he reported the assault.
"I went to the school's management, who claimed to be unaware of the incident. I also went to the boy's family, but they were not helpful.
"I then went to the local satellite police station but the police said they would not charge the boy because it wouldn't help as a court would release him on bail," the father said.
He ultimately decided it would be best to take his daughter out of the school.
The victim's sister told The Times that the incident occurred after she and a group of friends, including the perpetrator, teased each other.
"He lost it and slapped me on the face. Later my sister went to him to inquire what had happened.
"That's where the argument started and he beat her and kicked her to the ground in between the computer laboratory and other classrooms, while another boy took the video as he cheered him on," she said.
She said the incident was reported to school management who did nothing.