22-year-old high school student arrested for assaulting a teacher
· Citizen
A 22-year-old high school pupil has been charged with common assault after allegedly attacking a University of the Free State (UFS) student teacher outside a Bloemfontein school.
A video of the incident was captured on video and widely shared on social media.
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The incident allegedly occurred near Lekhulong Secondary School, where the UFS student teacher was completing her teaching practicals.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), the 22-year-old student has been formally charged with common assault but was released on warning pending his first court appearance.
“However, he was not detained because a charge of common assault does not warrant keeping the accused in custody pending their first court appearance,” the Saps said.
The accused is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“Upon receipt of the docket, the prosecutor will independently assess the contents thereof, including the complainant’s statement, material evidence, and/or any other relevant information contained in the docket. The prosecutor may then elect to amend the charge as deemed appropriate in accordance with the applicable law.”
WATCH: Video of confrontation circulates online
In the video, a couple can be seen arguing with a UFS student teacher before a young male is seen striking her.
Voices can also be heard accusing the student teacher of standing in the road and telling her to continue filming the encounter.
[RELEASED ON WARNING] This “22-year-old” high school learner has been formally charged with common assault. However, he was not detained because a charge of common assault does not warrant keeping the accused in custody pending their first court appearance.
– Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (@CrimeWatch_RSA) June 11, 2026
He was therefore… pic.twitter.com/kuOTbnANUQ
Student teacher details alleged attack
In a message shared online, the UFS student teacher alleged she and a colleague were attacked while walking to buy lunch.
“I just got attacked, as a practical student teacher from UFS, near Lekhulong Secondary School, where I’m attending my practicals,” she wrote.
She alleged that a confrontation began after a driver failed to indicate while driving close to a pedestrian walkway.
“The driver didn’t indicate when driving, and he passed near the pedestrian sidewalk. We tried to reprimand him, and he kept on threatening me,” she said.
According to the student teacher, the situation escalated when the driver’s son allegedly assaulted her.
“The child decided to beat me,” she wrote.
She further alleged that the driver’s wife shouted at her instead of intervening and claimed she told her that she was “not afraid of the police”.