Acquittal in Aroab sex claim case

A FORMER school hostel superintendent accused of sexually molesting school boys was yesterday acquitted on all seven charges of rape by the Keetmanshoop Regional court.

Jacobus Bloom (46) was found not guilty by the Keetmanshoop Regional Magistrate, who said the evidence against him had been “inconsistent” and that the State had failed to prove the seven charges beyond reasonable doubt. Magistrate Clement Daniels said the alleged victims lied to the court and colluded with each other to make the allegations and that they had contradicted each other on substantial issues.”The contradictions and inconsistence in the evidence of the witnesses are important and material,” he said.Two of the victims admitted that they had conspired to lay the charges against Bloom and indicated they wished to withdraw the charges.Daniels added that the boys failed to explain the molestation in detail and could only explain two incidents of the molestation, despite allegations of being molested on several occasions.During their testimony, they alleged that Bloom fiddled with their private parts and indulged in other acts of sexual titillation on several occasions.The boys were aged between 12 and 18 years at the time.The alleged molestation incidents allegedly happened between 2000 and 2002 while they were boarders at a Roman Catholic school hostel at Aroab in the Karas Region.The boys claimed they dropped out of school because of the alleged molestation.Aroab is located some 180 km southwest of Keetmanshoop.Bloom, who was calm throughout the week-long trial proceedings showed no expression of delight when he heard the verdict.He was represented by Gerrit Van Den Heever of Lentin Botma Van Den Heever Legal Practitioners.Public Prosecutor Johan Pienaar prosecuted.Magistrate Clement Daniels said the alleged victims lied to the court and colluded with each other to make the allegations and that they had contradicted each other on substantial issues.”The contradictions and inconsistence in the evidence of the witnesses are important and material,” he said.Two of the victims admitted that they had conspired to lay the charges against Bloom and indicated they wished to withdraw the charges.Daniels added that the boys failed to explain the molestation in detail and could only explain two incidents of the molestation, despite allegations of being molested on several occasions.During their testimony, they alleged that Bloom fiddled with their private parts and indulged in other acts of sexual titillation on several occasions.The boys were aged between 12 and 18 years at the time.The alleged molestation incidents allegedly happened between 2000 and 2002 while they were boarders at a Roman Catholic school hostel at Aroab in the Karas Region.The boys claimed they dropped out of school because of the alleged molestation.Aroab is located some 180 km southwest of Keetmanshoop.Bloom, who was calm throughout the week-long trial proceedings showed no expression of delight when he heard the verdict.He was represented by Gerrit Van Den Heever of Lentin Botma Van Den Heever Legal Practitioners.Public Prosecutor Johan Pienaar prosecuted.