An 11-year-old Grade 5 pupil was dragged into a school toilet at Sinqobile Primary School in Soshanguve township, about 30 miles north of Pretoria, and brutally circumcised by four older boys during break time. The attack, which occurred without anesthetic, has left the victim traumatized and prompted a police investigation.
Attack Details Emerge
According to the victim's mother, who spoke to Linda Ikeji's blog and chose to remain unnamed to protect her son's identity, three stronger pupils pinned the boy down while a fourth forcibly removed his shorts. The eldest boy then tied a ribbon tightly around the victim's penis and used a sharp blade to slice off his foreskin. The boy screamed in pain but was warned not to tell anyone and was left in the cubicle to stop the bleeding himself.
The victim limped home without reporting the incident, too terrified of violent threats from the older boys to tell his teacher or his mother. Several days later, his mother noticed he was walking in a "strange way," but he dismissed it as a "fashionable new way of walking." The following morning, the boy, still in agony, could not get out of bed for school and finally admitted that "something happened" at school.
Mother's Account and Medical Findings
"He wouldn't tell me what had happened," the mother said. "He then showed me his swollen private parts and I rushed him to the doctor and it was then that we learned 4 pupils had circumcised him." She added that her son said the boys were Grade 7 pupils who threatened to beat him up if he told anyone. "I have now opened a criminal case," she confirmed.
The doctor who examined the boy revealed that the circumcision was performed in the same fashion as tribal initiation schools. No stitches were used after the foreskin was removed, and a full diagnosis cannot be given until the swelling subsides.
Police Investigation Underway
Police spokeswoman Captain Tintswalo Sibeko confirmed that a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm is being fully investigated. "Our Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit are investigating and no arrests have been made at this stage," she said. The mother initially refused to allow her son to return to school, but police persuaded him to attend an identity parade to pick out the four attackers.
Gauteng Department of Education spokesman Onwabile Lubhelwana stated that the school had not reported any similar circumcision attacks. "This matter is under investigation by the South African Police Service and the outcome will determine the action we take," he said. Deputy school principal George Mahlungu expressed shock, saying, "We are perplexed by what happened. This school is a place where a child should be safe."
School Record and Public Reaction
Sinqobile Primary School has 2,050 pupils aged seven to 15 and an excellent record, but the mother says her son is now too traumatised to return to lessons. The incident has sparked outrage on social media, with users describing it as "attempted murd£r." One user commented, "This poor boy could have bled to de@th." The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this stage.
