Retired principal admits to homosexually raping pupils 30 years later

[Liberalism In The News]

Second could be among the first alleged sex offenders in the
country to be prosecuted for a sexual assault that took place
several decades ago following a recent Constitutional Court
ruling.
Until recently, the victim of 61-year-old retired principal
Richard Second had believed that his rapist and former teacher
had died.

Sunday Times reports that the victim, who is now in his late-40s
and has been living in the US since 1996 found out last Monday
from a Facebook friend that Second was still alive after he
found a picture of him on social media.

Second was an art teacher at Dale College Boys’ Primary School
in King William’s Town, in the Eastern Cape in the early 1980s
when the rape of the then 12-year-old, standard 5 pupil
allegedly occurred.

The publication details a string of emails beginning on October
22 when the victim wrote to Second, stating “you may have
forgotten who I am but I am haunted by the mere thought of you,
and have been ever since you came to my bed that one night and
then took me to your room and sexually violated and raped me. I
was 12 years old! You took advantage of me and in sexually
assaulting me, you effectively destroyed my youth and life
forever. You were my art teacher and I used to love art. Used to
love spending time in your room building sculptures. I have
hated art and sculpting ever since.”

Like many victims, the former pupil told the publication that
the had not initially reported the incident because he blamed
himself.

However, after finding out that Second was not dead, he sent a
sworn statement to the police’s family violence, child
protection and sexual offences unit in Mossel Bay (where Second
currently resides) on Thursday 1 November.

Second, who retired as principal of Queen’s College Boys’
Primary School in Queenstown in February, confirmed that the e-
mails seen by the Sunday Times were authentic.

Although Second admits in one e-mail that the victim’s account
of what happened “is very accurate,” Sunday Times reports that
he told the publication he had not raped the boy. Instead, he
admitted to fondling him and another pupil.

In various other e-mails, Second went on to make admissions to
things such as choosing the victim because he was “trusting of
me, all alone and vulnerable,” being involved in a
“relationship” with another pupil that he described as “more
intense” and that what he did was sickening.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Capt Malcolm Pojie told the
publication that an indecent assault and sodomy case had been
registered and the docket would be transferred to King William’s
Town as the alleged offences had taken place there.

As a result of the Constitutional Court’s June ruling which
allows for sexual assault offences to no longer prescribe
(become unenforceable) after 20 years, Second could be among the
first alleged sex offenders in the country to be prosecuted for
a sexual assault that took place several decades ago.

Following the explosive revelation, Second’s former place of
employment promised to institute an awareness campaign for
parents and students of their school.

“The school will institute a heightened awareness campaign and
past and current learners and parents will be provided with
contact details,” chairman of the governing body of Queen’s
College Boys’ Primary School Brendan Raasch told Sunday Times.

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/2031903/retired-
principal-admits-to-raping-pupils-30-years-later/