Taxi driver jailed for assaulting son

Johannesburg - An Atteridgeville taxi driver, whose primary duty was to transport schoolchildren, will have to change his career once he has served his jail term as his name will be placed on the National Child Protection Register preventing him from working with children.

The 39-year-old man, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of his son, was yesterday found guilty of assaulting his youngest boy and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, five years of which were suspended for five years.

His son is now 12 years old and lives with his maternal grandmother in Musina, Limpopo, along with his elder brother.

Magistrate Graham Travers said the court found it difficult to believe that the man could be rehabilitated as he refused to take responsibility for his actions and showed no remorse.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained his innocence, claiming the boys falsely accused him of abuse.

“You lied to this court and put your children through added trauma by making them testify.

“Child abuse is a very prevalent offence and the rate of child abuse in South Africa is shocking,” Travers said.

The man was initially charged with abuse and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm after his two sons, then six and nine, were found with “stripe marks” on their bodies in May, 2007.

The marks were discovered when an organisation visited the school to donate uniforms to poor pupils and fitted the six-year-old with a new shirt.

The school principal called the police and reported the matter.

The court found the father guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to his youngest son. He was acquitted on charges of assaulting his eldest son.

Travers said the father’s sentence should send a message to society that child abuse will not be tolerated.

The court found that the man had lost his temper because his son had dirtied his school uniform and then beat him with a “blunt object” leaving “stripe marks” on his body.

The beating was repeated the next day leaving a “deep open laceration.”

When the boy’s mother tried to take him to hospital, the man stopped her saying he would be arrested for his actions.

“You knew you were doing wrong. If you had pleaded guilty and taken responsibility for your actions the court would have been in a position to consider correctional supervision or a suspended sentence with anger management courses,” Travers said.

However, he would fail in his duty as a magistrate if he imposed such a sentence, Travers said.

The man who had previously been on bail stood emotionless in the dock as his fate was read out.

After sentencing, he was led to the cells instead of leaving the courtroom as he had been doing throughout the trial.

Travers said the consequences of having the father’s name placed on the National Child Protection Register will be explained to him in detail.

Pretoria News