MAKHADO (LOUIS TRICHARDT) – The parents of the 11-year-old school boy from the Emmanuel Christian School, who was sexually molested by the son of a local pastor, have brought charges of harassment and intimidation against a senior member of the school board, as well as two members of the pastor's congregation.
The charges follow an incident on October 31, when the mother of the 11-year-old boy caught the pastor's son, Linus van Niekerk (20), in their home, while he was busy molesting the boy. Van Niekerk, son of pastor Hennie van Niekerk of the Abundant Life Ministries, pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault on November 6. In his admission of guilt, Van Niekerk admitted that he had molested the young boy on at least five different occasions over a period of almost a year. His case was postponed until December 5 for sentencing. He was released on strict bail conditions into the custody of his parents, who are living on the school grounds, some 200 metres from the home of the boy he had molested.
According to the 11-year-old boy's parents, the harassment started soon after the arrest of Van Niekerk. This, according to them, entailed verbal abuse, and in one instance, the threat of physical violence, when two members of the Abundant Life Ministries congregation confronted them in their own home.
"They are trying to make it sound as if it is our fault that the pastor's son molested our child," the father said.
Apart from the harassment, the parents, who have been members of the church for some 10 years and teaching at the school for the last five years, are now jobless.
"Although they did not directly tell us to leave, they very pointedly implied that it would be better for us to leave the school grounds under the circumstances. We were given the cold shoulder by both the church and the staff members. Nobody came to us to even say, 'We are sorry about what had happened.'"
Apart from the charges brought against the senior board member and the two members from the congregation, the family has also applied for an interim court interdict against further harassment from staff members of the school and the church until Van Niekerk's sentencing on December 5. According to the family's attorney, the application for the interdict probably will be brought before the court on Thursday (today).
* The school was asked to comment on the allegations and charges this week. In response, the principal, Ms Sandy James, stated in writing: "Unfortunately I cannot attend to your request at the moment, as I am busy preparing something for the SABC regarding this case in the newspapers."