King David calls former pupils to speak about sexual abuse

A former King David High School Linksfield hostel boarder – who claims two male teachers sexually abused him when he was just 14 years old – returned to South Africa more than four decades later to lay criminal charges against them. 

The case, which became public this week in a statement by the South African Board of Jewish Education (SABJE), has prompted other former pupils to quietly come forward. 

“What struck me most through our engagement with him was the lifelong pain and trauma he has carried,” Rabbi Ricky Seeff, general director of the SABJE, told the SA Jewish Report. 

“This is not something that can ever be minimised. We have a duty of care to our students, and if these alleged perpetrators are guilty, they must be prosecuted. Abuse in any shape or form cannot and will not be tolerated.” 

The release of the SABJE statement on 18 May acknowledging allegations of historical sexual abuse appears to have resonated with many and has ignited difficult conversations about that era. 

At the centre of the case is a man in his late 50s who says that, as a vulnerable 14- and 15-year-old staying at now-closed Sachs House Hostel in 1982 and 1983, he was sexually abused by two male teachers. 

One was connected to the hostel, while the other may not have been involved with hostel life, said Seeff. It is believed the two men acted independently and may not have been aware of each other’s conduct at the time. 

“After allegedly enduring decades of pain, shame, and emotional trauma, the former pupil eventually found the courage to come forward,” said Seeff. 

Several months ago, the former pupil contacted the school via email from overseas, detailing the allegations. What followed was a lengthy and emotional engagement between Seeff and this man. During months of discussions, he was encouraged to document his allegations formally and compile a detailed affidavit for police. 

The man has also been in contact with other former pupils from that time and believes there may be additional survivors of abuse by the accused teachers. He hopes that the school’s public disclosure and the opening of the criminal case will encourage them to come forward. 

After the affidavit was completed, Seeff approached police for guidance, but was informed that the complainant himself would need to return to South Africa to open the criminal case in person. 

The SABJE helped bring the man back to South Africa to do so and he is in contact with the investigators. 

The former pupil said he has confronted both alleged perpetrators during his personal healing journey ‒ one some time ago, and the other more recently. Both men, possibly in their 70s, are aware of the allegations against them and may know that criminal charges have now been laid. 

Whether they are still involved in education is not known, nor has it been disclosed at which other schools they may have taught over the years. However, the SABJE said it had reported the matter to the South African Council for Educators to ensure that “until the process has run its course, the alleged perpetrators are not teaching or part of the education sector in any way”. 

In the SABJE statement, it said it was “deeply saddened and shocked” by the allegations. 

“Irrespective of the passage of 40 years, the SABJE takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously,” it read. 

Seeff said the school had a responsibility not only to support the former pupil, but also to send an unequivocal message that abuse would never be tolerated. 

“We have learnt so much through our engagements with him,” said Seeff. “We have a responsibility to ensure this doesn’t happen and that all students are supported and cared for.” 

The SABJE had engaged lawyers and the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa to ensure the accusations are properly investigated and handled appropriately. 

“We recognise the distress that abuse causes and the constant source of pain that victims live with, often for the rest of their lives,” said Seeff. 

“It also takes tremendous courage for victims to come forward and share their experiences.” 

The organisation extended “a sincere apology to any former Davidians who may have experienced abuse in our schools in the past”. 

Seeff said the former pupil had been plagued by emotional suffering well into adulthood before he had finally sought closure and justice. 

The SABJE asked that former pupils who may have experienced or witnessed abusive conduct during the period under investigation, or at any other time, to come forward confidentially. 

It said it now had extensive safeguarding measures in place across King David schools, including police clearance checks and sexual offender vetting. It also has compulsory annual safeguarding training, abuse-prevention education programmes beginning in Grade R, and formal reporting escalation protocols involving teachers, social workers, and senior management. 

The SABJE has partnered with safeguarding specialists The Guardian to review and strengthen abuse prevention and reporting structures. 

Koleinu SA, which runs a sexual abuse prevention programme at King David schools, welcomed the SABJE’s public response. 

“As providers of the Schoolsafe Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse programme, we salute King David for the transparency and accountability reflected in its response to the allegation of historical sexual abuse at the school,” Wendy Hendler and Rozanne Sack of Koleinu SA told the SA Jewish Report. 

The organisation praised the school’s safeguarding commitments and highlighted the immense courage it takes for survivors to speak publicly about abuse, particularly decades later. 

“Belief and support of survivors, public acknowledgement, and a commitment to investigation are critical steps in creating safer communities,” they said. 

In a direct message to the complainant and any possible additional survivors, Sack and Hendler said, “You are not alone, you deserve to be heard, and your experiences matter.” 

Police investigations are continuing.