The sexual abuse of a pupil at an elite Cape Town school 40 years ago has left the principal “deeply disturbed” and concerned that there may be other instances that have gone unreported.
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David Price, 76, is facing charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a pupil at the Western Province Preparatory School (WPPS) in Claremont between 1984 and 1987.
Charges were laid against Price last month, resulting in his arrest.
He has since been released and is expected back in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 1 February.
WPPS announced an audit of historical sex abuse committed during its 108-year history last year, 2022, as a “proactive response” following ongoing investigations into abuse of children at institutions across the country.
Speaking to News24, the principal of WPPS, Wayne Naidoo, said that he was “deeply disturbed” that his pupils may have fallen victim to the man who is wanted for similar crimes in the UK.
“[We are] similarly concerned that WPPS boys may also have been victims of Price during his teaching tenure at our school,” he told News24. “We had previously, in January 2022, opened a confidential process to encourage victims of any form of abuse at our school at any time in its history to come forward, and we have offered counselling and other forms of assistance to any boys and staff affected by any form of abuse.”
“We understand that this cannot remedy a lifetime of trauma caused to victims of abuse, but we continue to engage in rigorous retrospective, current and forward-looking processes to ensure that our boys and our school environment are safeguarded to the fullest extent possible from paedophiles and abusers of any kind.”
Naidoo added that WPPS was “fully supportive of justice and accountability”.
“We stand behind any victims of abuse at our school and support their choice in how to deal with the trauma.”
He also stated that protecting the school from any form of abuse is a top priority and a continuous process.
Price currently lives in a leafy retirement home in Rondebosch, which also has a play school on its premises.
He has denied the United Kingdom’s claims against him to the Daily Mail, citing a conspiracy against him.
In South Africa, there is no statute of limitations for sexual assault.
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