A teacher in a West Sussex school has been banned from teaching after hypnotising and “rubbing his bare penis on a pupil’s buttocks”.
Stephen Pieter Grobbelaar was given an indefinite ban by the National College for Teaching & Leadership (NCTL).
In a report of the hearing, which took place on September 18 and released today (click here), it states Grobbelaar hypnotised a 16-year-old boy when he was working as an English teacher at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in 1987.
He left the school in 1990 and has been working in England, although the name of the school has not been released, other than his former employer was “West Sussex”.
It says the complainant, referred to as “Pupil A”, was concerned about his performance in maths and Grobbelaar invited him to a room, alone, that evening.
The report said: “He told Pupil A that the solution was hypnosis to implant the suggestion that he enjoyed mathematics. He hypnotised Pupil A.
“Whilst Pupil A was under hypnosis Mr Grobbelaar removed Pupil A’s tracksuit pants and performed oral sex on the pupil. Mr Grobbelaar also removed his own pants and stood behind Pupil A.
“Whilst behind Pupil A he rubbed his bare penis against Pupil A’s buttocks. Mr Grobbelaar admits that his conduct during this hypnosis session was sexually motivated.”
It adds he hypnotised the boy a week later to prevent him from remembering what had happened during the first incident.
The incidents took place on a school farm and he was known for hypnotising pupils “for their amusement”.
Three years later after recalling the event, the boy told the South African school, but the report states it is “unclear” what action was taken other than Grobbelaar, who is now 53, left the school.
Last August, Pupil A found out he was teaching at an English school and reported what had happened and Grobbelaar resigned.
In the NCTL panel’s recommendations to the secretary of state, it said: “The Panel recognises that Mr Grobbelaar’s actions seriously damaged a pupil aged 16 at the time and for many years after.
“Mr Grobbelaar was in a position of trust, which he breached in a deliberate and carefully planned manner, including an attempt at concealment.”
The panel said they had been presented with evidence which showed he had shown remorse and attempted to atone for his actions, and that this was an isolated incident.
It added: “The Panel is also persuaded from his employment record and references as a teacher over the last 22 years that he is an excellent and inspirational teacher. The Panel believes the risk of repetition of the behaviour is low.”
Grobbelaar admitted all the facts.
He was banned from teaching indefinitely in any school, sixth form college, youth accommodation or children’s home.
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