Alleged paedo's lawyer gets hate mail

A lawyer defending a former teacher accused of sexually assaulting boys at Reddam House has been receiving hate mail.

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 Cape Town - A lawyer defending a former music teacher accused of sexually assaulting boys at the prestigious private school Reddam House has told a court that he has been receiving hate mail.

William Booth is defending the 32-year-old teacher who appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court earlier on Monday.

The man allegedly molested boys between the ages of nine and ten years old during music lessons.

When the allegations first surfaced earlier this year, the school terminated his contract.

He had been teaching both boys and girls private music lessons at the school since 2010.

In a new “disconcerting” development, his defence lawyer told the court he himself had become the target of vicious hate mail.

In an interview with African News Agency, Booth said his office, his home, and even his neighbours have been receiving letters accusing him of defending a paedophile. He said text messages had also been sent to his phone and to the phones of some of his staff members.

The messages apparently are threatening in tone, saying, for example, “we are going to get you” and “how can you sleep at night?”

Booth says up to eight letters are sometimes received in a single day.

But, he hasn’t laid a complaint with police as he hasn’t been able to identify the author or authors.

He told ANA that “everyone is entitled to a defence and to a lawyer” and that his client has not been found guilty of any crime yet.

He said “justice must take its course”.

Booth said the case was transferred to the Wynberg Regional Court where it will resume on November 16 by which time he hopes to have received the charge sheet as the investigation has now been completed.

His client is currently out on R2 000 bail. According to his bail conditions, he may not make contact with staff members at the Constantia school nor any of the complainants.

Booth said there were no protesters at court on Wednesday.

African News Agency