A learner was left traumatised after four learners shoved his head in a dirty toilet bowl. Picture: Supplied
Cape Town - “I have recurring nightmares about how those boys dipped my head in the dirty toilet bowl.”
These were the chilling words of a 14-year-old boy who was bullied by four learners at Leiden High School in Delft.
It was the Grade 8 learner’s second day at school when the tragic incident happened inside a cubicle in a boy’s toilet on January 31.
The boy’s mother said she was alerted and when she got to the staff room, the teen was standing inside a bin and crying. She said teachers failed to help him, and she suspects it was because he is black. In the presence of his mother, the 14-year-old explained in detail what happened on Friday.
“I was in IsiXhosa classroom when I asked my teacher to go to the toilet. When I was peeing, I heard someone running inside. There were four boys, they came to the cubicle, they grabbed my head, and tried to push me into the toilet. When I tried to balance, another boy kicked me and I ended up inside the bowl with my head.
“One of the boys put his hand in a plastic bag before scooping poo and then smeared it on my face and uniform.”
“I had the faeces covering my eyes and I couldn’t see them.
The learner said he was embarrassed and frightened.
“I have recurring nightmares about how those boys dipped my head in the dirty toilet bowl. Every night, I dream of a replay of that day. I can’t sleep properly. It was only my second day at school.”
This horrific experience has made the teen drop out of school.
“I don’t want to go back to school (Leiden High) because I will be a laughing stock. This will never end. I’d rather stay at home than go to that school. I can go to any other school but not this one.”
His mother, 41, said she wants accountability from the school and the boys.
“When I arrived at the school, my son was standing there. The teachers didn’t even provide a cloth to clean himself, he was still dirty.
“I will not keep him in that school. The principal didn’t apologise or even say how he would deal with this. They said they found one child and that they would have a meeting with the parents.
I want the boys to be found and pay for what they did. My son is not feeling safe anymore. I’m going to take this to the police.”
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said on Monday the district officials visited the school to make inquiries and to provide support.
“It is alleged that a Grade 8 learner was ambushed and assaulted by a group of learners in a toilet cubicle. In terms of policy, an investigation by the SGB is currently under way.
“The School Governing Body will convene to determine the disciplinary process going forward.”
Hammond said they will continue to monitor the process going forward and provide the relevant support to the victim.
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