‘No excuse for child abuse’

Cape Town - A group of children's rights groups protested outside the George Magistrate’s Court where a prominent local dentist appeared in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy .

The group later moved to the accused’s practice in the holiday town where they stood in silence holding posters with slogans including “No excuse for child abuse” and “No bail for sex offenders”.

The group gathered on Friday to voice their outrage after the 43-year-old father of three was recently released on R5 000 bail despite a previous conviction for similar crimes.

After a brief appearance in court, the matter was postponed until July 10 for further investigation.

The man was arrested on April 17 following claims that during a sleepover at his Harold’s Bay home on April 11 he pulled the young boy’s pants down and touched his private parts.

Last November, the man, who cannot be named as he has not yet pleaded, was convicted on charges including sex with a minor and sentenced to four years house arrest in December.

“We are here for the victim in the case and we are appalled that he not only received a minimal sentence, or a slap on the wrist, in the previous case.

“But we are also here because he was then released on bail in the current case,” Woman and Men Against Child Abuse Garden Route spokeswoman, Yvette Wilschut, said in a statement.

“We are just seeing over and over again how alleged sexual offenders’ rights are set above those of the child victims.

What about the child’s rights?”

Among the protesters were local members of WMACA and anti-child abuse organisation the Green Hearts of Plett.

The groups have been actively involved in campaigning for harsher sentences and no bail for alleged sexual offenders by staging protests during high profile cases in the Garden Route.

The groups also moved on to stage a silent and peaceful protest outside the dentist's practice after one of the protesters made an appointment with him for her 15-year-old son.

Cape Argus