Waterloo coach ‘threatened to kill my son’, says mom
The mother of one of the boys allegedly abused by a community leader in Verulam says only the harshest punishment will do.
"My son told me the coach threatened to kill him and his family if he ever said anything. He said the man would drug him and lie, saying the pill was for energy,” she said ahead of the man’s court appearance on Thursday.
The 57-year-old man is accused of raping four boys and sexually assaulting several others in the Waterloo area.
READ: Waterloo soccer coach in court for sexual assault
He reportedly taught bible studies and soccer to the young boys.
His application for bail at the Verulam Magistrate's Court was postponed until 17 September.
Newswatch spoke to the mother of a 14-year-old boy, who detailed how they uncovered the year-long abuse.
She said it's left the children traumatised.
"They no longer want to go to school. On Wednesday, we had to take them to a social worker for counselling. Our problem is that we trusted this man. We thought our children were safe with him because he would keep them busy with sports, and they would come home tired after a productive day. They had a good routine after school, and if there was no soccer they would also go for bible studies."
ALSO READ: ‘We need to empower children’ – Verulam activist on sex pest coach case
She said justice won't end with a harsh prison sentence.
"Our request is for the government to step in. We hope his bail gets denied and that he gets the harshest sentence so that he rots in prison. It is clear that he has shamed himself and this community. We want him to be convicted of all his crimes."
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