Windhoek Gymnasium teachers 'assault' trial starts the Katutura Magistrate's Court yesterday heard Biblical justifications for corporal punishment of children.
The case was that of a parent who took Windhoek Gymnasium, a private school, to court for beating his son.
According to Raymond Heathcote, the Bible endorses corporal punishment administered by Windhoek Gymnasium.
Heathcote is acting on behalf of school principal Stephanus van Zyl and teachers Etienne Odendaal, George Frederick Maartens and Estelle Oberholzer.
All four pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Helvi Shilemba yesterday morning.
They landed in the dock after Leon van Eck, the father of a former pupil, laid criminal charges against them.
Oberholzer allegedly hit the boy three times on each hand on February 5 2010 because he scored four out of ten for a test.
On February 18, Odendaal allegedly hit the boy on the backside because he failed to have a test paper signed by his parents.
This incident left him and his family "shocked", Van Eck testified yesterday.
Less than three weeks later, Oberholzer allegedly beat the boy again - this time because he scored eight out of ten for a test.
The next day, the principal, Van Zyl, allegedly gave the boy a hiding because he had written an English essay on a loose sheet of paper instead of in an exercise book. According to Van Eck, one could see marks on his backside as a result of the hiding.
Van Zyl testified that he confronted the principal about this and an undertaking was made that the boy would not be beaten again.
The principal also informed teachers in the staff room that the Van Eck boy should not be beaten, the court heard.
On March 15, Van Zyl phoned Van Eck to inform him about "an unfortunate incident" during which Maartens, the physical education teacher, had beaten the boy.
This came after the boy and four other classmates left their training gear at home.
Van Eck denied that he was aware that the boys had left the gymnasium giggling after the hiding.
Heathcote yesterday put it to Van Eck that Maartens was apparently not in the staff room when Van Zyl told them to stop hitting the boy.
The school is not denying that any of the beatings took place.
After the last incident, Van Eck removed his son from the school and enrolled him elsewhere.
Questioned by Heathcote, Van Eck denied that he himself administered corporal punishment while he was an accounting teacher at the coast years ago,.
He maintained that he and his wife oppose corporal punishment, irrespective of the reasons.
Van Eck further disagreed when Heathcote told him that he accepted the school's Biblical stance on discipline when he enrolled his child.
Heathcote quoted two verses from Proverbs. Proverbs 22 verse 15 states: "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him." Proverbs 19 verse 18 states: "Discipline your son while there is hope, and do not desire his death."
Van Eck said according to his understanding of the Bible, he needs to protect his son.
Public Prosecutor Erich Naikaku represents the State.
The trial is expected to continue before Magistrate Shilemba in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court today.
Comments Post a comment
In light of the Judge Adams video,
We often hear from those who fight to uphold this practice for those under the age of 18 (even to the blaming of the social maladies of the day on a supposed "lack" of it), but we rarely, if ever, find advocates for the return of corporal punishment to the general adult community, college campuses, inmate population, or military. Why is that?
Ask ten unyielding proponents of child/adolescent/teenage-only "spanking" about the "right" way to do it, and what would be abusive, indecent, or obscene, and you will get ten different answers.
These proponents should consider making their own video-recording of the "right way" to do it.
Research/recommended reading:
Spanking Can Make Children More Aggressive Later http://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_03122010.cfm
Spanking Kids Increases Risk of Sexual Problems http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2008/feb/lw28spanking.cfm
Use of Spanking for 3-Year-Old Children and Associated Intimate Partner Aggression or Violence http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/3/415
Spanking Children Can Lower IQ http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2009/sept/lw25straus.cfm Plain Talk About Spanking by Jordan Riak http://www.nospank.net/pt2010.pdf
The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children by Tom Johnson http://nospank.net/sdsc2.pdf
"Spanking" can be intentional or unintentional sexual abuse http://www.nospank.net/101.htm
"If we really want a peaceful and compassionate world, we need to build communities of trust where all children are respected, where home and school are safe places to be and where discipline is taught by example." Desmond M. Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus, Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, 2006. See www.nospank.net/globalreport.pdf
"The much-touted 'biblical argument' in support of corporal punishment is founded upon proof-texting a few isolated passages from Proverbs. Using the same method of selective scripture reading, one could also cite the Bible as an authority for the practice of slavery, adultery, polygamy, incest, suppression of women, executing people who eat pork, and infanticide. The brutal and vindictive practice of corporal punishment cannot be reconciled with the major New Testament themes that teach love and forgiveness and a respect for the sacredness and dignity of children, and which overwhelmingly reject violence and retribution as a means of solving human problems. Would Jesus ever hit a child? NEVER!" The Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf, United Methodist Clergy (Retired), Hamilton, Indiana. Personal communication, 2006.
Ten Reasons I Can't Spank A Catholic Counselor's Critical Examination of Corporal Punishment By Gregory K. Popcak, MSW, LCSW http://nospank.net/popcak.htm
"I have always been an advocate for the total abolition of corporal punishment and I believe the connection with pornography that is so oriented has its roots in our tradition of beating children." Gordon Moyes, D. D., Pastor, Uniting Church, Superintendent of the Wesley Central Mission, Sydney, Australia. Excerpt from personal communication, 1980.
United Methodist Church: UMC General Conference, May 3, 2004, takes a stand against corporal punishment in all settings. Click on the following links: http://www.umc.org/Calms/petition.asp?mid=2886&Petition=1038 http://www.umc.org/Calms/Petition.asp?mid=2886&Petition=1037 Rita Swan, introduced both resolutions, describes strategy
Matthew 19:8 Just because something is a long-standing tradition, doesn't mean it was ever right to begin with.