Durban — Senior public prosecutor (SPP) at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court was to make a decision on representations made by the counsel of a high school teacher facing six counts of rape.
On Monday, the 55-year-old man who was a teacher at a high school in Clermont appeared in court, where his lawyer, K Jairam, provided representations to the prosecution ahead of the anticipated trial.
These representations were provided to the State after Jairam had made a request for further particulars of the matter when the man last appeared in court.
Speaking after the accused’s appearance, Jairam told the Daily News that the matter was adjourned to June 9 for the SPP’s decision on representations.
In the first count of rape, the teacher allegedly raped a 17-year-old on March 16. It was further alleged that he raped her more than once. In the second count, he is alleged, on that same day, to have inserted his finger in her genital organ. In count 3, it is alleged that on January 19, the accused raped another 17-year-old, where the State alleges that the victim was raped more than once as well.
Six days after this, it is alleged that the accused inserted his finger into the genital organs of the same victim.
The accused is also charged with exposure of genital organs to a child, where it is alleged that in 2021 he pulled down his pants, showing his privates to the 17-year-old at the school. In February, in count 6, he is alleged to have inserted his finger into the genital organ of another 17-year-old and raped her more than once.
He is alleged to have repeated this in March with the same victim.
The accused also faces a charge of sexual grooming of children. This was in relation to another 17- year-old.
The man, out on R5 000 bail, had been teaching at the school from 2008 and was arrested by police on the premises in April last year, and was alleged to have committed the alleged rapes there. He was granted bail on condition that he relocate to his chosen address in Northern KZN.
In February, when he appeared in court, Jairam indicated that his client wanted to move back to Durban.
“My client’s conditions of bail have not been changed. He has not changed his address.
“He has not secured a new address in Durban as yet. He is still looking,” said Jairam on Monday.
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