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A former maths teacher and rugby coach, who taught at schools in the UK and South Africa, has been charged with sexual assault.

The 83-year-old ex-teacher is expected back in the dock in June, charged with indecently assaulting boy learners.

His crimes were allegedly committed in 1988 and became known this year after a former Rondebosch Boys’ Preparatory School pupil claimed he was sexually and physically abused by him while in Standard 5, noted News24.

Since waiting to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, the man was also named as an alleged child predator who abused boys at Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College in Scotland:

Using parliamentary privilege, former Scottish National Party leader Ian Blackford said in the House of Commons several claims had been made against him at both schools, and he had admitted to “inappropriate behaviour”.

“This horrific human being has gotten away with abusing boys for decades”, noted Miranda Jordan, the founding director of Women and Men Against Child Abuse, which has been supporting the South African complainant as his pending extradition case has allowed him to still walk free:

“WMACA is angry and frustrated that he was arrested in 2019 but has been allowed to await the extradition outcome at home in South Africa, rather than in prison where he belongs. While his extradition from South Africa to the UK is still pending, he walks free,” the organisation added.

He should be in jail as he was already a “fugitive from the UK”, Jordan added. There are at least 50 charges against the accused in the UK, per IOL:

According to Cape Times, the accused along with another former teacher face a range of sexual indecency related charges in the United Kingdom, were named in a BBC documentary, alleging they groomed young boys while teaching at renowned teaching institutions.

Tthe UK’s BBC 4 channel aired a programme in which the two pensioners were named among a number of teachers who allegedly sexually abused pupils at some of the country’s most respected boarding schools.

WMACA said that at least 40 men have come forward in the UK thus far.

“Only a couple of South Africans have come forward to date. We believe that there are many more victims, and we strongly encourage them to come forward,” the advocacy group said.

Jordan added that she is ashamed as a South African “harbouring this monster”, but is hopeful that “the South African law, hard fought for, will hold him accountable for this historical abuse”.

Meanwhile, the other SA sexual abuse monster, Gerhard Ackerman, is finally behind bars, per The Citizen:

Judge Ismail Mahomed in the High Court in Johannesburg on Monday convicted Ackerman of 728 charges, with NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane saying that was “just the beginning”.

She added: “There will be a whole lot of work that we start from the day his judgment is delivered, where obviously we cannot share much information.”

It is a relief for a lot of people that this debased character, called South Africa’s Jeffrey Epstein for running child sex rings out of massage parlours, is finally out of action:

Despite some victims not coming forward- and others awaiting their trial to commence, a mother of one of Ackerman’s victims said this was a win for everyone who has ever been victimised by the convicted child rapist.

“While it doesn’t take away the pain he caused all of us, it certainly brings closure to those who need it the most and knowing he won’t strike again,” the mother said, holding back her tears.

Mahomed’s mention of the late senior advocate and acting judge Paul Kennedy’s involvement “acknowledged his participation and contribution in all of this, because his death does not acquit him from this matter”, the mother said:

“The judge is right, Kennedy [who took his own life while out on bail] saw through this whole matter and decided to take his own life, but Ackerman still fails to show any remorse, you can see it from his body language and facial expressions,” she added.

On Friday, Ackerman told members of the media that he was innocent and that he did nothing wrong because the young boys “knew what they were doing”.

Women and Men Against Child Abuse have said that Ackerman’s conviction is a victory.

One down, another to go.

[source:iol&citizen]