A parent from Delft is outraged after her 14-year-old son was bullied at Leiden High School on Friday, 31 January. The teenager was allegedly attacked by a group of boys who forced his face into an unflushed toilet bowl containing faeces. One of the bullies, holding a plastic bag, reportedly scooped up the faeces and smeared it on the boy’s uniform before running off.
The mother aged 42, explained that her son had just started attending the school on Thursday, 30 January, and was bullied on his second day. The boy recounted how he went to the toilet around 9am after a speech by the prefects.
“After the speech, we returned to class, and I asked my teacher for permission to go to the toilet,” he explained.
He added: “While I was in the toilet, about four boys entered, assaulted me, and shoved my face into an unflushed toilet with faeces. One of them, holding a plastic bag, grabbed some faeces and smeared it on my uniform before they ran off.”
Pretty said the school contacted her to bring a change of clothes for her son. When she arrived, she saw her son standing near reception while other students were taking photos of him.
“They should have kept him somewhere safe and not exposed to other kids. My son is traumatised and doesn’t want to return to that school,” she said.
She added that when her son went to the principal’s office, he was asked if he recognised any of the bullies or could identify them. When the boy said he had seen them but couldn’t identify them, the principal responded that there was nothing they could do without knowing the identities of the bullies.
The the boy’s 57-year-old grandmother, criticised the school for its lack of response. “The school didn’t make any effort to help my grandson or find the bullies. This incident happened before break time, so there were students outside. If they had wanted to find them, they could have,” said the grandmother.
The Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) spokesperson Bronagh Hammond confirmed that they were aware of the situation. District officials visited the school to investigate and offer assistance following the alarming allegations. The department stated that a Grade 8 student was reportedly ambushed and assaulted by a group of learners inside a toilet cubicle.
She said investigation is currently underway by the School Governing Body (SGB), which will also decide on the disciplinary process. Although the alleged bullies were absent from school on the day of the incident, they will face appropriate action. The boy’s mother has been contacted, and arrangements for psychological support have been made. Additionally, the school has secured consent for the boy to transfer to another school and is providing help with the transition.
“These allegations are serious and concerning. No learner should be subjected to such abuse. It is also extremely disappointing that so many learners were allegedly involved in the incident. The WCED will continue to monitor the process going forward and provide relevant support to the victim. This incident is a reminder to all parents to have continuous engagements with their children on values and positive behaviour,” said Hammond.