Struck student seeks damages for ruptured eardrum

Leinanyana Tsiane | Friday August 29, 2014 15:07

 

Morris, who was a Standard Four student at D’Kar Primary School at the time, told Mmegi that she received three slaps on the cheek for giving a wrong answer to a Mathematic problem in class.  

She said after the incident she noticed she was bleeding from the right ear adding that some of her classmates advised her to inform her mother what had happened in class.

Against the advice of her mates, Morris said that she refused to go home immediately, but when the bleeding did not stop she left only to find her aunt and uncle there.

“I didn’t tell them about the ordeal, but I went to look for my mother.  I did not tell my class teacher because I was afraid that I would earn more slaps.  I found my mother and told her about what happened,” said Morris.

Dorah Morris, her mother, confirmed the incident and said that they took the matter up with the school, but tension between Dorah and the teacher rose on the account that the latter was not remorseful.

Dorah said she took her daughter to Gantsi Primary Hospital and was referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist at Ramotswa Lutheran Hospital.

“The Doctor did some tests on my daughter and confirmed that her head to eardrum was damaged and therefore had to operate her. The operation was performed in the same year (2007),” said Dorah.

Morris’ medical records from Gantsi Primary Hospital confirmed that she had traumatic eardrum perforation, which may have been caused by the repeated slapping across the cheek.

Now Morris is appealing to the relevant authorities to assist her with the matter as it has affected her studies and quality of life.  She said that she no longer participates in class.

She complained of excruciating pain if water accidentally gets into her ear and suffers from headaches.  She said that her hearing has been impaired and is likely not to ask a speaker to repeat what they said.   

“But if it is someone I am used to I can freely ask them to say it again. But I can’t say the same with my teachers. I am always scared to ask a question if I did not hear what the teacher said.  This has a negative impact on my studies because I am doing really badly,” she said.

Her mother said that her daughter‘s life has changed. She said sometimes when they talk to her at home, she wrongly interprets what they say and at times sulks the whole day.

“This is so sad for me because I gave to birth to a healthy daughter now she is just a deaf young girl.  We have been to the authorities, but have hit a brick wall.  The case has just died a natural death. I was left with no choice but to appeal to the media to help us,” she said.

What saddens Dorah is that not once has the teacher asked how her daughter was doing.

Throughout this, Dorah said that they have been receiving help from Aaron Johannes who ferried them to the hospital for her daughter’s checkups. She said that her funds were exhausted by the many trips to the hospital.

“So we are urging the powers that be to help us because I want this woman to pay for what she did to my daughter,” said Dorah.

When contacted for comment, the Regional Education Director Mohube said he could not comment on the issue, but is willing to look into it. 

However, D’Kar primary school head, Uathukifa Hinagari, said that the case has long been closed saying it was confirmed by the doctors that the slapping was not the cause of damage to the girl’s eardrum.

He added that the girl has a known history of ear problems, which he alleged, used to bleed.  He said that it was not the teacher’s fault.  The police closed the case, which was never to make it to the courts, disclosed Hingari.