KZN teen sentenced to a year's community service for bullying

19 April 2021 - 17:27 By orrin singh
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A screenshot from a video of an alleged bullying incident at a KZN school.
A screenshot from a video of an alleged bullying incident at a KZN school.
Image: Screenshot

A 16-year-old schoolgirl was given a community-based sentence of 12 months by the Mahlabathini magistrate's court after she was convicted of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm last month.

In a statement on Monday, National Prosecuting Authority KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Kara said the matter related to an assault of a pupil at Mathole High School in Mahlabathini, in the Zululand district, in September last year.

The incident was captured on video and widely circulated on social media.

According to the sentence, the pupil will be placed under the supervision of a probation officer for a year and she will receive therapy to help her manage the issues that may have led to the offence.

"In handing down sentence, magistrate Fatima Khawula set out some conditions namely: that the accused cannot leave the magisterial district without prior written consent from the probation officer, and she must submit a written apology to the victim. Also, the probation officer must facilitate a mediation between the accused and the victim," said Kara. 

KZN director of public prosecutions advocate Elaine Zungu said: “We acknowledge the prevalence of bullying in the school environment. We will give these matters the necessary attention and ensure prosecutions accordingly.”

The sentencing comes after the suicide of grade 10 pupil Lufuno Mavhunga who was bullied at school in an incident that went viral online.

TimesLIVE


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