3.3. WHEN ABUSE HAPPENS AT SCHOOL: Sarah is mother to Leah born on the 27th July 2002 who is currently in grade 6 at St Johns’ Primary School. Sarah is a dressmaker and that is how she earns her living. Asked to talk about her daughter, Sarah’s voice is filled with love and pride as she recounts how Leah has always been a lovely child. She proudly relates how Leah has consistently won different school prizes. These have ranged from prizes for academic achievement to prizes for good behaviour. Sarah proudly emphasizes that this has been the case ever since Leah started Grade 1. In addition, Leah was always a happy child who loved to sing and to go to church with her mother. The morning of the 20th June 2014 is a morning that Sarah will not easily forget. It is the morning when as Leah was about to leave for school, she went to her mother and asked her if it was ok for a male teacher to touch her thighs. Sarah was filled with a sense of panic and asked what she meant. Leah then disclosed that Mr Timothy a Grade 6 teacher had been doing this to her and she did not like it as it made her feel uncomfortable. Sarah although in shock, immediately prepared and went with her daughter to school to make a report.On arrival at school, she went straight to the headmaster. When she met the school head, he called the teacher in charge and together they asked Leah what had happened. Leah then related how her teacher had been touching her thighs and breasts since June 2014. She told how on the day it started, he came to her from behind and put his hand on her shoulder and then moved it until he touched her breast. On other days, he would sit down next to her on her bench in class and put his hands on her thighs, touching her inappropriately. One time he touched her during a test and she felt that on this occasion it must have gone on for the entire lesson, which would be about 30 minutes. While she continued to write the test, this incident traumatized her as he only left after the siren signaling the end of the lesson had gone off. They then called the teacher who denied this but said that he goes around the classroom marking books and in the process, sometimes sits close to her as he does with all children. Sarah asked him why Leah would accuse him of such an act. The school head asked if there was any bad blood between Sarah and the teacher and she told him that there wasn’t. Sarah was told to go home as the school would look into it. Unhappy with the school’s response, Sarah went to the police and made a report. The school head was called by the police and together with the teacher and child, statements were recorded at Ruwa police station. They went to court the next day and bail of $50 was granted and he was remanded to the 7th July 2014. Also present at court on this day were 3 male teachers and a member of the School Development Committee- also male. The child felt intimidated and the Monday following this remand, Leah refused to go back to school. 16 Leah’s STORY Sarah made a report at the Ministry of Education offices and a meeting was called. Sarah attended the meeting with her daughter where she told them the child was now reluctant to go to school and that she did not want to move classes. Instead she told them that she wanted the teacher moved away from school. The District Education Officer who was presiding over the case promised that the system would do what the child wanted. Sarah also asked about the child’s safety and she was assured that the child would be ok. She then left the child at school. Sarah feels that the teacher needed to be properly prosecuted and serve time in jail because he violated the trust that parents vest in teachers in whose care they entrust their children. The accused was tried and discharged at the close of the State’s case. He has not yet been transferred but has been on suspension pending finalization of his case by Ministry of Education officials. This teacher started teaching the child in Grade 5 and Sarah considered him a good teacher and now she has to struggle with feelings of guilt for 20 not protecting her daughter.