Ruling today on Aroab sex claims

A FORMER school hostel superintendent accused of sexually molesting school boys is expected to know his fate today.

The Keetmanshoop Regional Court is set to pass judgement on Jacobus Bloom (46), who has been standing trial on seven counts of rape. Bloom has pleaded not guilty.Bloom was arrested in 2003 after a number of pupils claimed they were sexually molested when they were boarders at a Roman Catholic school hostel at Aroab in the Karas Region.Aroab is located some 180 km southwest of Keetmanshoop.The boys were aged between 12 and 18 years at the time.During their testimony, they alleged that Bloom fiddled with their private parts and indulged in other acts of sexual titillation.The boys also claimed that they dropped out of school because of the alleged molestation.Bloom’s defence counsel, Gerrit van den Heever, and public prosecutor Johan Pienaar yesterday wrapped up their arguments before Regional Court Magistrate, Clement Daniels.Van den Heever asked for an acquittal.He argued that the boys and the Police had “cooked up” the charges against Bloom.”This was a poor attempt to conspire against my client on the part of the complainants and Police,” he said.Van den Heever claimed that the State had failed to prove its case against Bloom and that the chief evidence had been “inconsistent” and factually unsound.Pienaar agreed that evidence given by the witnesses had been inconsistent.However, he argued, the boys had been young at the time of the alleged molestation and this had contributed to inconsistencies in their evidence.Van den Heever disagreed.He claimed that the boys colluded to lay charges against Bloom.Pienaar, in turn, disagreed with him.”Why should all seven boys make such allegations of molestation against the accused,” he asked.Pienaar further argued that the Police had confiscated underpants, which the boys had identified as belonging to them.Bloom remains free on bail.Bloom has pleaded not guilty.Bloom was arrested in 2003 after a number of pupils claimed they were sexually molested when they were boarders at a Roman Catholic school hostel at Aroab in the Karas Region.Aroab is located some 180 km southwest of Keetmanshoop.The boys were aged between 12 and 18 years at the time.During their testimony, they alleged that Bloom fiddled with their private parts and indulged in other acts of sexual titillation.The boys also claimed that they dropped out of school because of the alleged molestation.Bloom’s defence counsel, Gerrit van den Heever, and public prosecutor Johan Pienaar yesterday wrapped up their arguments before Regional Court Magistrate, Clement Daniels.Van den Heever asked for an acquittal.He argued that the boys and the Police had “cooked up” the charges against Bloom.”This was a poor attempt to conspire against my client on the part of the complainants and Police,” he said.Van den Heever claimed that the State had failed to prove its case against Bloom and that the chief evidence had been “inconsistent” and factually unsound.Pienaar agreed that evidence given by the witnesses had been inconsistent.However, he argued, the boys had been young at the time of the alleged molestation and this had contributed to inconsistencies in their evidence.Van den Heever disagreed.He claimed that the boys colluded to lay charges against Bloom.Pienaar, in turn, disagreed with him.”Why should all seven boys make such allegations of molestation against the accused,” he asked.Pienaar further argued that the Police had confiscated underpants, which the boys had identified as belonging to them.Bloom remains free on bail.