Jan Kempdorp – The boy who was assaulted by his fellow hostel-mates at the Landbou High School in the Northern Cape, has died, Netwerk24 reported.
The boy died in Bloemfontein on Thursday.
The boy’s three attackers were due to be sentenced in the Regional Jan Kemp Court on Friday but the matter was postponed to June 22 because of the boy’s sudden death.
Stephan Venter and Zalman Davis, both 19, have already admitted guilt on four counts of assault and one of crimen injuria.
Another boy, 16, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
The fourth accused, a 15-year-old, was acquitted, but must complete community programmes.
The assault allegedly took place in the agricultural school’s hostel in Jan Kempdorp, which borders the North West, in 2015.
The child was apparently a new pupil at the school.
A video of the incident showed the boy tied to a school bed, crying and screaming, while the pupils rubbed a white substance on his body and raped him.
The boy was stripped naked, smeared with soap and had his hair shaved. He was also assaulted with a toothbrush and mop.
The victim was diagnosed with leukemia in November 2015.
A source told Netwerk24 that the boy was in hospital to undergo the first treatment of a second round of chemotherapy.
His condition deteriorated in recent days.
“His mother and grandparents were broken. He is in a better place where there is no more pain,” said the source.
“I’m not one to throw stones. If there is one thing we can all learn from this is that a thoughtless act committed by you in a moment can haunt you and your family for the rest of your life.
“It is hard to forgive yourself, but God forgives you. However, you would never forget what happened.
“I feel sorry for the accused. As parents we should be more involved in children’s lives and their wellbeing. We must teach our children to think about every word and deed.”
The boy lived with his grandparents in Christiana during the last few months. His mother told Volksblad a month ago that he had gone through a difficult time and his illness had worsened.
“My parents did everything to encourage him to look forward to the future. It is difficult for a young person to recover from an emotional trauma with such a serious illness,” his mother said.
The name of the deceased cannot be revealed because he was a sexual assault victim.
Courtesy: http://www.news24.com
The Guardian 