Jules High School Scandal

as cited by the M&G's Faranaaz Parker in Top local news controversies of 2010

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There was a moral outcry when the media reported that a 15-year old girl had been drugged and gang-raped at school, during school hours. More disturbing, the act was filmed on cellphone and passed from person to person.
Almost as disturbing as the news itself was the handling of the matter by police and the media. At first the boys, aged 14 and 16, were left to write their exams while investigations continued, then they were arrested in contravention of state law. Then they were released.
Meanwhile, the girl was interviewed by newspapers and shadowy pictures of her were printed on the front page of certain dailies. Cameramen camped outside her house and, while they did not photograph her directly, they took and published pictures of her home, which made it easy to identify her. The media began to speculate about whether she had been drugged or drunk during the incident, and whether the sex had been consensual or not. Still later, news of the girl's in-camera hearing was leaked to the press.
Then the bombshell -- the state opted not to pursue a case of rape and instead chose to charge the girl and both boys with underage sex.
Later, child advocacy groups launched a high court application to challenge the law that allowed the children to be charged. The groups questioned the use of the law, which is so broad that it not only outlaws sexual penetration, but also kissing and fondling between adolescents.

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