Parktown Boys' High pupilsaccept blame for their actions
The woman who exposed the alleged brutal initiation at Parktown Boys' High has got herself a bodyguard.
Pene Kimber arrived at the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court yesterday with the burly bodyguard who never left her side. She was there for the second appearance of 12 Parktown pupils who are facing charges of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The boys aged 17 and 18 years are alleged to have meted out a violent initiation to Kimber's 17-year-old son, who was a boarder at the school. She has since removed him from the school.
Five of the boys arrived at court wearing uniform as they had just written their mid- year exams. The pupils were assessed by social workers last week and the assessments continued yesterday before their hearing could begin.
The atmosphere outside court 48 yesterday afternoon was calmer than when the 12 boys first appeared in court last week. Only the 12 boys, their parents and teachers from the school were present.
Some of the boys looked scared and ran out of the court followed by photographers.
Kimber sat on benches on the other side of the court with supporters who condemned initiation and bullying in high schools.
The boys handed their ID documents to the investigating officer and went one by one to the probation services RAR centre to finish up social worker assessments on their behaviour.
The proceedings were held in camera and reporters were not allowed in. Seven of the accused are juveniles.
The charge sheet stated that during the assessments all of the accused pupils admitted responsibility.
"But this in no way admits liability and is not a form of admission," said the charge sheet. It added that the boys would plead later.
Di Bewick Gibson sat next to Kimber. She said she was there as a mother whose child had gone through bullying at school. "I am here to support Pene, and we are not against Parktown Boys', but against bullying and abuse in schools countrywide."
Gibson said she felt violence and abuse was becoming far too common a practice in schools and that people need to make a stand to stop it.
Another supporter was wellness coach and councillor Janine Shamos who started a website, www.respectme.co.za, to help the victims and perpetrators of bullying.
She said initiation ceremonies do not make men of boys, but rather she has found in her practice that it "decimates self esteem and leads to suicide".
Shamos said that in South Africa at present 9.5 percent of suicide deaths involved teenagers. A six-year-old had also committed suicide.
The case was postponed to June 18 for the allocation of a pre-trial report.
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