[imagesource:news24]

Over the weekend, news broke publicly of a sex scandal at Bishops involving a teacher, who has now resigned and left the school, and a matric pupil.

The teacher, 30-year-old Fiona Viotti (above), is the daughter of Dave Mallett, the head of rugby at the school, and housemaster of Founders House.

She is also the niece of former Springbok coach Nick Mallett.

Viotti was allegedly involved with an 18-year-old matric, who had tried to break off the relationship.

The story has been widely covered by News24 and the Sunday Times, amongst others.

This below from IOL:

A parent close to the matric boy who blew the whistle on the teacher said the relationship began as a consensual one. “He was a willing participant in the beginning. He became a victim when he couldn’t get out of the relationship. The teacher started texting him to come to her house on campus, and that’s how it started.

“But it got to the stage where he had enough and the teacher would not let him go and he went to his parents for help and they went to the headmaster.”

Several sources, including one close to the matric pupil, allege he was not the teacher’s only sexual interest. “This has apparently been going on for about six years. That’s why the headmaster is asking for other boys to come forward.”

Multiple reports suggest there are sexually explicit videos and images of Viotti circulating, which she had sent to the pupil in question.

For those who have been sending the images and videos around, bear this in mind, from the Sunday Times article:

…Viotti forwarded questions from the Sunday Times to attorney William Booth, who said she had asked him to respond.

“The whole matter should be considered sub judice,” he said. “And if there are videos, that is another aspect as to how you came into possession of the video or anybody got in possession of the video.

“You can’t just publish videos if the person who is the subject matter of the video has not given permission for that to be published because that is a serious invasion of the person’s rights in terms of our constitution.”

Also, there’s the matter of showing some basic human decency. You’re sending around these images and video without any form of consent – maybe you’ve heard about the recent revenge porn laws that were just passed here in South Africa?

Stop sharing them, and delete them.

There were reports that Viotti has headed overseas to the UK, although these have been rubbished by Booth earlier today.

Viotti, who was also a sports coach at the school and involved with water polo, married her long-term boyfriend, a Cape Town businessman, last year, and they resided in the upmarket leafy suburb of Constantia.

During last week’s matric prize-giving, there was also a somewhat surreal moment:

In a humiliating moment at the matric prize-giving on Friday, he [Viotti’s father] was seated on stage before a hall of 1000 boys and parents who already knew he was the father of the accused teacher. Then, to make matters worse, the matric boy at the centre of the scandal had to walk past him to receive a prize.

“The teacher was stern-faced and the boy was as white as a sheet,” said one parent.

Another person described the moment as humiliating.

“It shouldn’t have happened. All the boys in the hall knew about his relationship with the teacher. It must have been shaming for him.”

Given that this is a family with such a longstanding and proud tradition at the school, our hearts go out to the Malletts, the family of the pupil in question, and all of those affected by the events of the last few days.

Dave Mallett has now sent a letter to the parents of boarders in Founders House, which he oversees, talking of the “devastating” events.

The matric pupil and his family have requested privacy at this stage, with matric exams just two weeks away, and the school is now involved in a full-scale investigation into the matter.

[sources:iol&sundaytimes]