The dorm matron accused of abusive behavior at Oprah Winfrey's South African school for girls will have to wait a little bit longer to get schooled by the South African courts. About three months longer.
During a brief hearing at Sebokeng Magistrate's Court Wednesday, a judge again postponed the trial of 27-year-old Virginia "Tiny" Mokgobo, announcing the much delayed proceedings would now take place Apr. 21.
Mokgobo, who was fired from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls following allegations she sexually abused six students and a fellow employee, was present for the brief hearing. Once again, she made her entrance into the courtroom with a towel covering her face and surrounded by a barricade of relatives to shield her from the intense media presence. She did not speak during the hearing.
The disgraced ex-dorm matron faces 13 counts stemming from her November arrest, including indecent assault, common assault, soliciting or enticing a minor to perform indecent acts and verbal abuse. On Wednesday, Magistrate Beki Mohalelo said that there were at least three serious cases of indecent assault and that the alleged abuse took place over a four-month period.
The alleged victims in the case are six students, aged 13 to 15, and one of Mokgobo's fellow dormitory matrons, aged 23. Mokgobo has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her.
The former dorm matron is currently free on $450 bail. Last month, another judge in the case granted a monthlong recess in proceedings to allow Mokgobo time to meet with her attorneys.
While Winfrey herself kept mum on the allegations throughout the duration of the investigation, she spoke privately with the families of her students to apologize for the abuse having taken place at what was meant to be an educational safe haven and last November spoke publicly about the events for the first time, calling it one of the most devastating moments of her life.
Since then, as is inevitable, Winfrey's life has been on a definite uptick.
The Winfrey-produced film The Great Debaters is a staple on what's left of the awards-show circuit, while earlier this week, the talk-show maven announced she was teaming with Discovery Communications to launch OWN—the Oprah Winfrey Network.
The 53-year-old will, as she does with all other media ventures bearing her name, serve as chairperson of the endeavor, and called the creation of the new network the fruition of a goal she's had for more than 16 years. The network will labor to create "mindful, not mindless, television."