- The Hervormde church will decide on Saturday whether to terminate Babbel & Krabbel’s lease.
- Toddlers as young as two were allegedly taken from the Melkbosstrand crèche and sexually assaulted by the owner’s husband, Marius Pistorius.
- Despite a string of allegations in 2011 and 2018, the church has extended the lease of the school on its property.
At Babbel & Krabbel crèche, three-quarters of the pupils were still in attendance on Tuesday despite revelations over the alleged serial rape of toddlers seized from there by the owner’s husband. But by Wednesday morning, its landlord seemed poised to pull the rug from under its feet.
Last week, News24 reported that toddlers as young as two were allegedly abducted and raped by Marius Pistorius, 69, after they were taken from Babbel & Krabbel, which was founded by by Annet Pistorius, 63, in Melkbosstrand near Cape Town.
Since 1995, the local Hervormde Church has been the crèche’s landlord and neighbour. After initially defending its decision to extend the play school’s lease after allegations first emerged in 2011 and 2018, News24 understands that the exposé has changed the calculations on the church’s side.
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On Tuesday evening, the church’s scribe told News24 that they would decide at the weekend whether to terminate Babbel & Krabbel’s lease. By Wednesday morning, he issued a brief statement.
The church "has already started the process of getting legal advice about this and related matters", said Johann Smith of the church’s Cape Town parish, which includes the Melkbosstrand congregation.
He added: "All the relevant facets of the matter are being handled by the parish’s church council in a way that gives the highest priority to the best interests and safety of the children who are enrolled at the school.
"The church council will issue a press statement on the matter soon."
The Hervormde Church – or Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk van Afrika – is one of the three traditional Afrikaans sister churches, of which the NG Kerk is the largest.
A quarter stay away
Marius and Annet strenuously deny the allegations. The National Prosecuting Authority has twice declined to prosecute him, discounting victims’ accounts, medical examinations and psychological evaluations.
In Melkbosstrand, Annet told News24 that, of the 88 pupils registered at the school, 22 were absent on Tuesday. Annet said she was not sure whether their absence was owing to the scandal or ill health.
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