Police, WMACA announce organised crime probe into 'sex predators' at elite schools

On Thursday, Colonel Heila Niemand confirmed during a press briefing in Johannesburg that the police have reopened the case against disgraced former St Andrews College water polo coach David McKenzie.

Claims against McKenzie first emerged in a six-part podcast series by investigative journalist Deon Wigget, who looked into the suicide death of Eastern Cape teenager Thomas Kruger.

Kruger was allegedly groomed and sexually assaulted by the coach.

Niemand is heading up broader investigation commissioned by head of organised crime Shadrack Sibiya and which spans at least five provinces.

“The case was closed but was reopened and I have already started working on the St Andrews matter. I’ve already interviewed a number of the potential victims.”

The schools linked to the probe include Grey High, Pearson High, and St Andrews College in the Eastern Cape; Westville Boys High in KwaZulu-Natal, Grey College in the Free State and the Reddam schools in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

She said there is evidence of discussions in a WhatsApp group where alleged perpetrators exchange notes on their targets.

Niemand also confirmed that police are looking at the case of former Grey High School rugby and water polo coach Dean Carelse, who is back in South Africa after he was deported from Australia following his conviction on possession of child pornography, child abuse, and child grooming charges.

Australian authorities found Carelse may have sexually violated other victims in South Africa.

She said while the Australian conviction can’t be used in the local investigation it would help strengthen the case.

“There was a lot of evidence that came out of the Australian investigation that identified a few victims in South Africa that were possibly sexually abused or sexually groomed by Dean Carelse. I can confirm that investigation will continue in South Africa.”

The colonel added that they hope to make an arrest soon.

At the same time, Michelle Hobkirk – the mother of one of the boys abused at Parktown Boys - has condemned the silence and secrecy that exists in elite school communities.

“…it exposed a system in the schools that allowed the abuse. Children were silenced and were not allowed to speak through intimidation and abuse with tacit approval by the leadership. When asked why he didn’t say a word to anyone about the violent abuse that was being meted out every night and during the day the answer from the 14-year-old was: ‘You would not have believed me.'”

In 2018 former Parktown Boys assistant water polo coach Collan Rex was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment for over 100 sexual assault and 12 common assault charges linked to the abuse of pupils.

Hobkirk said elite schools are more concerned about their reputation than the safety of children - and that parents and relevant education bodies must do more to promote reporting.

“It’s with alarm that the school-going children and sports-playing children are being sent into these establishments without the one tool to safeguard them from sexual, emotional, and physical abuse and this is their voice. We have to teach our children to use their voices. The voice of a child is to alert the caregivers and parents to their needs,” Hobkirk said.

While schools are also legally required to do background checks on prospective teachers and any other employees, including sports coaches, to ensure they are not listed on the National Register of Sexual Offenders and the National Child Protection Register, WMCA’s Luke Lamprecht warned this is not being done efficiently.