Families demand justice in former St John’s teacher abuse case

After years of delays and mounting frustration, families of alleged victims of a former St John’s Preparatory School teacher say the start of court proceedings against the 52-year-old marks a long-overdue step toward justice.

The accused appeared at the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday, where the accused faces 25 charges – including sexual assault, grooming, and the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The alleged crimes stretch across three provinces and involve at least a dozen boys.

The Mordoh family, whose son Julio was also allegedly abused by the teacher, say they have waited years for accountability. Julio later died at a psychiatric clinic, three weeks after giving a statement about the abuse. His family is now suing both the clinic and the accused for R61 million.

The accused — who cannot be named due to ongoing legal proceedings — appeared calm and composed in a grey suit as he entered a packed courtroom. He remains out on R10,000 bail, which was extended pending his next appearance.

Court documents reveal that the man was first arrested at his Craighall home for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old boy between 2005 and 2006. While the boy was not enrolled at St John’s, the alleged abuse reportedly took place on school grounds, where the teacher worked from 2002 to 2014.

A Johannesburg mother, whose three sons she claims were also victims, says the abuse began when her children were just five, nine, and twelve years old. She says it was only in 2021, when her eldest son spoke up, that the full extent of the alleged abuse came to light.

Her eldest son’s disclosure encouraged more victims to come forward, revealing a pattern of alleged molestation during school camps and outings, where the accused reportedly befriended children and their families before exploiting their trust.

St John’s College has maintained that it only became aware of the allegations in 2021, prompting an independent investigation and the filing of criminal charges with the police. The school also reported the matter to the South African Council of Educators and the Anglican Safe Church Unit.

Since then, more complainants have come forward, and additional charges are expected to be added to the case, which has been centralised at the Johannesburg High Court to streamline prosecution.

The matter has been postponed to 20 November for a pre-trial conference, where the judge and legal teams will determine how the case will proceed.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe