Parktown Boys head last night asked a mother for evidence that her son had been deadly beaten. Here it is.
HERE is the picture that proves that a Parktown Boys' High pupil was injured during initiation by a group of matric pupils.
Last night on Talk Radio 702, the school's principal, Tom Clark, challenged the boy's mother to provide proof that her son had been severely injured during initiation in the school's hostel two weeks ago.
On Monday, Pene Kimber broke the silence when she called The Star to talk about an initiation ceremony on February 2 in which her 17-year-old son and other Grade 11s were dragged onto a playing field in the middle of the night, stripped naked and had Deep Heat rubbed onto their genitals.
They were then lined up and beaten with cricket bats, golf clubs and hockey sticks.
Finally, they were whipped by the head boy until they bled, she said.
Clark last night asked Kimber to supply the school with proof that the attacks were as severe as her son claims. Earlier, parents said that Kimber had lied about her son being whipped until he bled.
The picture was taken this morning, over two weeks after the alleged beating.
Kimber has shown The Star a doctor's report from the Sunninghill Hospital a week after the alleged attack.
The report said the teenager had "extensive bruises and abrasions consistent with the assault of a blunt object", signed by Dr JR Malloney. The form indicated Kimber's son had been assaulted on his buttocks and lower back.
The teenager also signed an affidavit at the Midrand police station this morning stating the details of the initiation where he reports: "I could hear crying and screaming before it was my turn."
The affidavit also names teachers who spoke to the boys after the initiation.
One teacher told the boys that he had given the matrics the key to the pool area where part of the whipping took place.
Many more parents whose sons have also been assaulted have broken their silence on "a culture of violence" at the prestigious school's hostel - but many have defended the practice of initiation, saying it builds character.
Others support Pene Kimber.
"That women deserves an award for bravery," said one.
But parents are so nervous of victimisation that even though in some cases their sons' experiences happened up to five years ago, they are too scared to be named.
Kimber took her son out of the school in the middle of the night, after it was alleged that he was victimised because he had told his mother about the initiation.
Kimber says she has now received threatening phone calls and SMSs from unknown people.
One repeatedly called her a "bitch" and another warned: "You haven't heard the last of us."
She said she received 10 phone calls threatening her.
She said that she is busy tracing the calls and is laying a charge of harassment against the people who have called her with threats.
She is also being blamed for putting some children at the school in jeopardy because she spoke out.
"My son is sitting at home without a school, and nobody from the school has given me any real answers."
Kimber laid charges with the police against the Grade 12s and the teachers she believes were involved in the incident.
A parent whose son had been involved in the beating denied on Talk Radio 702 that the boys were injured.
Another parent said her son told her about the initiation, confirming Kimber's claim.
"While we have swallowed a lot of incidents in the past, we are not happy with this. This was serious and uncalled for," the mother said.
Other parents phoned with complaints. One woman said her child's nose had been broken after repeated bullying and that he had started showing signs of extreme distress. Her son was removed from the hostel … as were several others, she said.
The school's headmaster, Tom Clark, said Kimber must submit a written affidavit and concrete evidence so he could take action.
Clark said Kimber did not tell him some of the things that were published in the newspaper. "In a disciplinary hearing we need to listen to both sides of the story."
Clark said he would ensure there was no retribution or intimidation and victimisation.
A Grade 11 pupil, who went through the initiation, called into Talk Radio 702 and said the initiation had made the pupils bond and that they accepted the beating because "we want to be stronger".
"We are not a girls' school, we are a boys' school," he told the station.
Gauteng Education MEC's spokesperson, Mbela Phetlhe, asked parents whose sons had suffered abuse to report the incidents to the MEC.
Jody Kollapen, the chairperson of the SA Human Rights Commission, said the commission would investigate the incident.
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