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Oprah teacher 'showed porn'

20090601VNH. Smilling Virginia Tiny Makopo, 28, (white top) inside the Sebokeng magistrates' court. Makopo, a former domitory parent at the Oprah Winfrey Academy for Girls in the Vaal who is faincg charges ranging from sexual and physical abuse.PIC:VELI NHLAPO .01/06/2009. © SOWETAN.
20090601VNH. Smilling Virginia Tiny Makopo, 28, (white top) inside the Sebokeng magistrates' court. Makopo, a former domitory parent at the Oprah Winfrey Academy for Girls in the Vaal who is faincg charges ranging from sexual and physical abuse.PIC:VELI NHLAPO .01/06/2009. © SOWETAN.

THE much awaited trial of the Oprah Winfrey Academy for Girls' dormitory matron accused of sexually abusing pupils resumed at the Sebokeng magistrate's court yesterday.

Virginia Makopo, 28, is accused of indecent assault, kissing and fondling the girls and forcing them to touch her breasts. She is also accused of having crept into their beds, telling them to be lesbians.

Most of the girls who accused Makopo have already given testimony in camera and yesterday the school's physical education teacher Namita Jugath gave testimony.

Jugath told the court that one of the girls approached her after roll-call at about 6.30am saying, "Something is troubling me, I'd like to talk".

Jugath said: "At first she was scared. I tried to calm her down as she was crying. She told me that her mother died in 2005 and when she went home on holidays, people would tell her that her mother was a prostitute.

"This troubled her at school and she said that she needed someone to talk to. She told a fellow student."

Jugath said according to the girl a few days later Makopo came to the girl's room in the dormitories and asked her whether it was true that her mother was a prostitute.

She then showed the girl some pornographic photographs and asked her what she felt.

"[The girl] told me that she told Makopo that she felt nothing but Makopo insisted that she was lying," said Jugath.

After Jugath's testimony another girl from the academy testified in camera. The contents of that testimony were not made public.

The trial continues today.

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