Police have confirmed the arrest of a teacher accused of using a pipe to administer 92 lashes to a Grade 11 pupil at Tetelo Secondary School in Protea North, Soweto.
The educator was arrested on Monday after police accompanied the family of the pupil to the school to point out the suspect.
A family member said: “We went to the school with the detectives, and the principal asked that the teacher not be handcuffed, but rather be escorted to the police station. That’s where she has been detained.”
The teacher is being held at Moroka police station and is expected to appear before the Protea magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Col Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed the arrest.
“A suspect has been arrested today and will appear before the Protea magistrate’s court tomorrow, March 3,” Sibeko said.
Sowetan previously reported how the family and the girl’s classmates stated that the teacher had given the class a task to write a 150-word essay; however, the teenager wrote 308 words.
The teacher allegedly said she would give her 158 lashes to match the number of words she exceeded in her essay.
While watching the girl being beaten repeatedly, some boys in the class offered to take 10 lashes each to spare her. The teacher proceeded to beat them too with the same pipe.
The teenage girl had to receive medical treatment after her left hand started swelling and developed blood clots.
Sowetan
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