By: Odeh Favour Adiya
An 11-year-old Primary 5 pupil was allegedly dragged into a school toilet and forcibly circumcised by four older schoolmates at Sinqobile Primary School in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, South Africa, according to a report by the Daily Mail.
The Grade 5 pupil was attacked during break time by four Grade 7 pupils who held him down, tied a red ribbon around his penis, and cut off his foreskin before threatening him against revealing the incident to anyone.
The victim returned home after the attack without immediately disclosing what had happened, but his mother later noticed he was walking unusually and complaining of severe pain before rushing him to a doctor.
Speaking on the traumatic incident, the victim’s mother, whose identity was withheld to protect her son, recounted how she discovered the crime.
“He then showed me his swollen private parts and I rushed him to the doctor and it was then that we learned four pupils had circumcised him. He said the other boys pinned him down in the school toilets during break and tied a red ribbon round his penis and cut off his foreskin,” she said.
She added that the senior pupils threatened to beat him up if he dared tell anyone, confirming that she has now opened a criminal case over the assault.
Confirming the development, South African Police Service spokesman, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, said the matter was being investigated as assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
“Our family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit are investigating and no arrests have been made at this stage,” Sibeko stated.
The Gauteng Department of Education noted that the matter was under police investigation and that the outcome would determine the department’s next action, while the school’s deputy principal, George Mahlangu, described the incident as disturbing, stating the school was supposed to be a safe environment for children.
The victim was later taken back to the school by police officers to identify the alleged attackers, while his mother expressed deep concern about allowing him to return to classes.
The incident comes amid broader public alarm over unsafe circumcision practices associated with traditional initiation rites, known as Ulwaluko, in South Africa, where illegal initiation schools and untrained practitioners continue to cause serious injuries and fatalities among young boys.
