Humiliated Goodhope Teacher Lays Charges

Pini Bothoko | Monday February 24, 2020 16:39

The teacher whose naked video has been circulating across social media has finally laid charges against his abusers.

Botswana Police Service’s deputy public relations officer, senior superintendent Near Bagali confirmed the development to The Monitor.

“Yes the violated teacher has laid charges at Gaborone West Police Station and the matter is currently being investigated by serious crime (unit),” Bagali said. “We were also planning to open the case as the police even if the victim had not opened the case because we have the obligation as the police for the law to be followed.”

Bagali said they were also totally against what happened, but the victim moved swiftly and lodged the case. He stated that the police cannot fold arms in despair and watch people humiliating each other and in the process taking the law into their own hands.

 “We have been warning members of the public to refrain from taking and sharing obscene videos on social media platforms. Appropriate action would be taken against the perpetrator(s). Investigations on the matter are ongoing to establish if there were any offences that were committed prior to the shooting of the video or during the process and if so more charges will be added,” Bagali added.

He said they cannot condone such behaviour, especially that they have been issuing press releases warning members of the public to refrain from sharing obscene videos on social media.

Bagali said it is an offence to post videos of naked people on social media platforms and the person who circulated the video on social media will face the law.

He said the perpetrators would be charged with an offence of ‘publicising obscene material’ contrary to section 16 of the Cyber Crime Act.

“If found guilty they are likely to be charged a fine not exceeding P20, 000, secondly they are likely to face imprisonment not exceeding one year or both,” Bagali said.  He said they were deeply concerned by the growing persistent immoral behaviour in which some individuals or groups exchange or distribute pornographic or obscene materials on social media.

“People should learn to respect each other’s privacy. We have realised that capturing almost everything they see amuses a majority of people and they share it on social media.

They even share serious things like car accidents that have claimed people’s lives before even the victim’s family members are made aware of the accidents,” he said.

The video of a naked victim who was heard being questioned by some men went viral across social media platforms and left the nation with mixed feelings over the matter, with a majority condemning what transpired.

In the video, the victim who identified himself as a teacher at Goodhope said his hands were tied up with a rope with voices of men interrogating him on his then whereabouts.

The perpetrators were also heard accusing the teacher of visiting a married woman and being comfortable to undress in another man’s territory.

Then the teacher was heard requesting the men to return his trouser that they took off him when they undressed him.