SOUTH AFRICA: South African police launch probe into allegations of abuse at billionaire television star Oprah Winfrey's all-girl leadership academy

Police in South Africa launch a probe into allegations of abuse at internationally TV chat show host Oprah Winfrey's all-girls school. South African police said on Wednesday (October 31) they have begun an investigation into alleged abuses at billionaire television star Oprah Winfrey's all-girl leadership academy. South Africa's "Rapport" newspaper has reported that a matron at the school allegedly fondled one of the pupils and grabbed a girl by the throat and threw her against a wall and said other school employees were also guilty of misconduct. "Rapport" also reported that Winfrey flew into the country to meet parents and school administrators over the allegations. Winfrey asked parents to forgive her for letting them down, the newspaper quoted a parent who attended one of the meetings as saying. Police spokesman Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini told Reuters that the school carried out an investigation and handed the file to the police last week. "We received a report, the misconduct report from the school, which was handed over to us to analyse. After analysing this report, we established that there were some criminal elements about the abuse of the children at the school and we opened a case for investigation. At this stage we are still interviewing the victims, witnesses as well as the parents of the victims. Once our investigation has been finalised we are going to take this case to the Director of Public Prosecutions who must decide whether to prosecute or not," Dlamini said, without giving details on the alleged abuses. The 40 million U.S. dollar academy has been dogged by controversies since it opened in January 2007 with a star-studded launch attended by various celebrities including singers Mariah Carey, Tina Turner and Mary J. Blige, comedian Chris Rock, actor Sydney Poitier and filmmaker Spike Lee. In March, some parents complained that the school was too strict and its restrictions to visits, phone calls and email contact, were comparable to prison rules. Then, in May, some parents complained that their children weren't allowed junk food and when they visited the school they had to go through a security gate. Oprah hand-selected the first class of 152 poor, mostly black pupils, to attend the elite school that boasts state of the art facilities including laboratories, a yoga studio and beauty salon situated over 52 acres at Henley-on-Klip, south of Johannesburg. Tuition and board is free at the residential school. The academy provides its 450 students with textbooks, uniforms and meals.

ITN Source | October 31, 2007

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