Former Bryanston High School coach pleads not guilty to sexual abuse of pupil

A former sports coach of Bryanston High School who is accused of sexually molesting a pupil pleaded not guilty to the charge on Monday.

He submitted his plea in the Alexandra magistrate’s court after his case was postponed 14 times.

This comes after he failed to have the director of public prosecutions (DPP) throw the case out of court.

Disciplinary hearings held by the school in 2019 alluded to there being three victims, but only one lodged a criminal case against the former coach. He was dismissed by the school after an internal hearing on allegations of sexual assault and financial mismanagement.

Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA), which has been supporting the victim, has welcomed the progress in the case.

“This is the second single witness sexual abuse matter that WMACA is supporting in court this year. It is unbelievably challenging ... the key factor of corroborating evidence is absent so the strength of the case is in investigations and the ability of the state,” said the organisation's Ngaa Murombedzi.

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