Teacher sought in UK fighting child abuse case in SA

A former SA teacher wanted by UK authorities on allegations of 84 counts of the sexual assault of young boys, is continuing to fight his extradition order and has now pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault after an alleged male victim came forward after more than 30 years. Iain Wares’ alleged victim, now aged 47, who had been 12 at the time of the alleged abuse at Rondebosch Boys Preparatory during 1988, took the witness stand in the Wynberg Regional Court. Prosecutor Rafeeqa Cornelius told the court Wares (84) was facing one count of indecent assault which took place in Rondebosch in 1988, where he had allegedly indecently assaulted a male victim between the ages of 12 and 13 years old by touching his buttocks and penis and rubbing his penis up against the victim. A plea explanation via Wares’ lawyer, Ben Matthewson, handed in as evidence confirming his not guilty plea, did not detail why he chose to stand against the charge, reports Weekend Argus. To protect their witness, the state brought an application for proceedings to be held in camera, which was granted, and the media, including a UK newspaper, was asked to leave the courtroom. Wares was a teacher at St George’s Grammar School and Rondebosch Boys Preparatory during the 1980s and 1990s before retiring in 2006.

Wares is fighting another battle, that of an extradition request made by the UK in 2018 and a warrant issued for his arrest in 2019, notes Weekend Argus. Wares initially made a written affidavit of admissions to having inappropriate urges to touch boys and to sexually abusing them but it was retracted with the claim that he had been ill-advised. The allegation relates to 42 former students of Wares in the UK who are all now beyond the age of 60, and the incidents of apparent sexual and physical abuse took place between the 1960s and 1970s at schools such as Edinburgh Academy and Fettes College. Wares was ordered in the UK to stand trial on six charges of lewd, indecent and libidinous practices and behaviour, and one charge of indecent assault, for which his extradition is sought. Wares has since brought an appeal against his extradition which is continuing at the Western Cape High Court.