11-YEAR-OLD BOY ALLEGEDLY CIRCUMCISED BY SCHOOLMATES IN SOUTH AFRICA An 11-year-old boy in South
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
An 11-year-old boy in South Africa was allegedly dragged into a school toilet and forcibly circumcised by four older pupils during break time.
The incident reportedly occurred at Sinqobile Primary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, where the Grade 5 pupil was allegedly attacked by four Grade 7 students who held him down and cut off his foreskin.
According to the Daily Mail, the pupils allegedly threatened the boy with violence if he disclosed the incident.
The boy reportedly returned home after the attack without telling his family what had happened. His mother later became concerned after noticing that he was walking unusually and complaining of severe pain.
She subsequently took him to a doctor, where the extent of the injury was discovered.
The mother, whose identity was withheld to protect her son, said the boy told her that the pupils pinned him down in the school toilet, tied a red ribbon around his penis and carried out the circumcision.
She said she had reported the matter to the police.
South African Police Service spokesperson, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, confirmed that the case was being investigated as assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He said the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit was handling the investigation and that no arrests had been made at the time of reporting.
The Gauteng Department of Education said the police were investigating the incident and that the outcome would determine the department’s next course of action.
The school’s deputy principal, George Mahlangu, described the incident as disturbing, stressing that schools should provide a safe environment for children.
Police reportedly took the boy back to the school to identify the alleged attackers, while his mother expressed concern about sending him back to classes.
The incident has also renewed concerns over unsafe circumcision practices associated with some traditional initiation schools in South Africa.
Traditional male initiation, known as Ulwaluko, is recognised as a rite of passage into manhood among some South African communities. However, illegal initiation schools and unqualified practitioners have been linked to serious injuries and deaths.
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