The Sans Souci Girls’ High School teacher who slapped a pupil in February last year has again been summonsed to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on charges which were previously withdrawn.
Cape Town – The Sans Souci Girls’ High School teacher who slapped a pupil in February last year has again been summonsed to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on charges which were previously withdrawn.
According to Clarissa Venter’s lawyer, William Booth, the Grade 9 teacher was contacted by Claremont police last week and told that they had been given an instruction to issue her with a summons to appear on March 11.
Booth said he would be addressing a letter to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape to ask “on what basis and authority they feel it is right to recharge somebody who was told the case was finalised”.
“I will be addressing the letter with immediate urgent correspondence to give me reasons for the reinstatement and if they can’t give me reasons I may have to take it to the high court because it was not a provisional withdrawal, it was a final withdrawal,” Booth said.
He added that Venter was upset and feeling stressed again, as both herself and her family were under the impression that the matter had been resolved.
“We were not advised about this at all and they knew I had been working on the case from the beginning. It would just be courtesy to let me know and give me the reasons why she was being recharged.”
Meanwhile, the Western Cape Department of Education said that it was completely unaware of the new development.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila and the police did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Matters began when Venter was seen slapping one of her pupils following a classroom altercation.
Cape Times
