An 11-year-old pupil at Sinqobile Primary School in Soshanguve, South Africa, was allegedly dragged into a school toilet and forcibly circumcised by four older students during break time.
The Grade 5 pupil was reportedly attacked by four Grade 7 students, who allegedly pinned him down before one of them used a sharp blade to remove his foreskin.
The boy was also allegedly threatened with violence if he disclosed the incident to anyone.
According to his mother, the child returned home after the incident but initially refused to tell her what had happened. She later noticed that he was walking unusually and, days later, discovered that he was in severe pain.
The mother said her son eventually showed her his swollen private parts, prompting her to rush him to a doctor.
“He then showed me his swollen private parts and I rushed him to the doctor and it was then that we learned four pupils had circumcised him,” she said.
She said her son told her that the older boys had attacked him in the school toilets during break and threatened to beat him if he told anyone.
The mother subsequently opened a criminal case and refused to allow her son to return to school. Police later persuaded the boy to attend an identity parade, where he reportedly helped identify the four students.
South African Police Service spokesperson, Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, confirmed that a case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was being investigated.
“Our Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit are investigating and no arrests have been made at this stage,” Sibeko said.
The Gauteng Department of Education also confirmed that the matter was under police investigation, while saying the school had not reported any similar circumcision attacks.
Deputy Principal George Mahlungu said the school was shocked by the incident.
“We are perplexed by what happened. This school is a place where a child should be safe,” he said.
The school has about 2,050 pupils between the ages of seven and 15.
A doctor who examined the boy reportedly said the procedure appeared to have been carried out in a manner similar to traditional tribal initiation practices. However, the doctor said a full diagnosis could not be made until the swelling subsided.
The boy’s mother said her son had become traumatised by the incident and was afraid to return to school.
Police investigations are ongoing, and no arrests had been made as of the latest report.
