I see now, in the various news media, history again repeating itself but with entirely different consequences…

I recall that in the late 1960s a large number of my classmates being castigated by the then headmaster of our boarding school for sexually abusing and raping a drunken 16-year-old mentally-challenged (in today’s parlance) counter sales girl who was, at that time, starting off with her first employment at a then well known department store.

Apparently these predators, six of them, persuaded her to meet them after hours in the press/broadcast box of a local rugby field, which has hosted many international events in Potchefstroom, plied her with liquor and then, by pre-arrangement, encouraged a larger group of their friends to also participate.

All of these boys, on the verge of matriculation, were all allowed to continue living in the hostels, and complete their scholastic careers without any further opprobrium or consequent disciplinary action by our school staff.

The matter was never reported to any authorities and further hushed up to "protect" the "good" name of the institution and the reputations of those in charge of the school and of the various hostels. I do believe, however, that the parents/guardians of these boys were notified and that that was the extent of their punishment.

Corporal punishment wouldn't have prevented this occurrence nor would it have changed their subsequent attitudes.

I still wonder though if many of these persons have a happy and secure family life or have they gone on to become surreptitious deviants leaving various wakes of uncaring destruction in our society over the past forty years.