Testimonies heard in the Western Cape High Court have lifted the veil on tense rivalries between two of Cape Town’s most prestigious boys’ schools, as part of a civil damages claim worth R645 000.
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More than six years after the dramatic water polo fight between students from the prestigious Bishops Diocesan College and Rondebosch Boys High Schools, several witnesses testified before Judge Judith Cloete last week to explain what happened that day.
The incident on February 3, 2018, was dubbed the ‘BishBosch’ brawl, in which Bingo Ivanisevic of Bishops punched Ross Stone of Rondebosch Boys High School during a water polo match.
Stone’s legal team provided graphic images of the bloodied teen, who underwent surgery after his teeth were bashed into his gums and a bone was cracked. One of his teeth was found at the bottom of the swimming pool.
Stone’s legal team provided a breakdown of his claim, which included medical expenses incurred as a result of the attack, future medical expenses, and general damages.
Stone’s lawyers are also holding Bishops responsible for the damages, claiming that because the attack occurred on their property, they, too, are liable for the damages, along with Ivanisevic.
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In response papers, Bishops’ legal team admitted that Ivanisevic assaulted Stone but stated that after the incident, they imposed sanctions as prescribed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation (Fina) and initiated disciplinary proceedings against him.
Bishops has requested that if the High Court determines that Ivanisevic is liable for the damages, he be held liable solely.
In his response papers, Ivanisevic stated that he believed he was drowning at the time of the incident. He claimed he was held underwater and punched, and that he threw a ‘reactive punch’ at Stone, who was not present in court.
He claimed Stone’s punch forced air out of his lungs, prompting him to swallow water. Ivanisevic stated that Stone’s actions endangered his life and could have resulted in serious injuries.
During the trial, both former students testified, as did employees from each school.
Judge Judith Cloete expressed her concerns about the obvious tensions and questioned why a culture of ‘goading’ was tolerated during sporting events by not only students but also parents.
She revealed that the evidence presented to her revealed that bad behaviour by children and parents at the matches was commonplace, with Rondebosch students hissing at Bishops students while Bishops students threw coins in the swimming pool and made comments like ‘Your mother works for my father.’
Warren Wallace, Bishops’ Head of Sport, was confronted with a plea statement from Ivanisevic, who claimed that both schools’ management had failed to control the spectators prior to the match.
The atmosphere was that of a ‘gladiatorial spectacle,’ which he claimed prompted Stone’s alleged attack.
Wallace told the court that during water polo matches, crowds were allowed close to the pool, and he had always positioned himself near the pool to avoid any problems.
He admitted that the crowds were loud and took ‘digs at each other,’ but he denied that it was out of control or volatile, as Ivanisevic described.
Wallace told the court that at other water polo matches, a Bishops parent got into a fight with a parent from another school.
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He also told the court that a report compiled by popular water polo coach Fiona Viotti following the incident prompted the decision to pursue disciplinary action against Ivanisevic.
‘There was an unpleasant incident that was being discussed at school. It was my decision to institute disciplinary action. There was no need for support statements because the punch happened. I led the investigation with other members of the disciplinary committee.’
Wallace stated that the school’s disciplinary committee was not permitted to question Ivanisevic about the pending criminal charges, but that he had no idea in what capacity Viotti acted when she apologised, or whether she apologised on behalf of the school.
He claimed that Rondebosch students were hostile towards Ivanisevic.
‘There was always a provocation towards Bingo to get him to react . There was a history.’
During previous testimony, Bishop’s tutor, Angus Firth, admitted that the behaviour of children and parents at sporting events was ‘part of the culture,’ which the schools had attempted to correct over the years.
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