Outraged parents at Omaalala village in the Oshana region have detailed how their young sons would skip school to go to the house of an alleged perpetrator who lured them with food, money and shelter. Some of the alleged 50 involved boys’ mothers recall how the children would sneak out of the house to meet their alleged molester. Gabriel Alfonso (58), who was arrested over the alleged indecent assault and molestation of one boy (13) at the village, appeared in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was arrested after a parent of one of the estimated group of 50 boys opened a police case against him. Alfonso was granted bail in an amount of N$1 500. According to the police, the suspect used to call the boy to his house and cook for him. Afterwards, they would go for a bicycle ride. Alfonso allegedly told the boy when he slept over that no one in his house sleeps with clothes on because there is a ghost, and would then molest the boy. This allegedly took place between 2022 and 31 October 2024. The matter was recently reported to police chief inspector Joseph Shikongo when he visited the village, with community members saying they have been trying to open a case against Alfonso at the Ongwediva Police Station on several occasions without success. Shikongo gave a directive for investigations into the matter and for action to be taken against the suspect. The matter was postponed to 21 July. Efforts to get comment from Oshana education director Pauline Shapumba on what the directorate was doing to safeguard pupils were not successful. ‘NO LONGER SAFE’ The Omaalala community is planning to protest against Alfonso being granted bail, citing that the boys are no longer safe in their community. A community member who spoke on condition of anonymity says the community fears that the suspect would continue his activities. “Why did they grant him bail? What if he comes back to prey on our children again? This just shows that our judicial system values the lives of criminals over the victims,” she said earlier this week. Some parents says they are collecting funds to send their children for counselling as they are traumatised. ‘SKIPPING SCHOOL’ One of the alleged victims’ mother says her son would disappear from home for about three months, hiding at Alfonso’s homestead. “I work far away from home as a farmworker in the south. From time to time, I would receive calls from home that my son has disappeared and no one knows where he is. “After looking for him, he would be found at the suspect’s homestead. As a family, we have tried to talk to this boy over and over, but he would not listen to us and he goes back to the molester’s house. “The suspect allegedly lured the children with food and money,” she says. She says her son did not attend school for the three months he was living with the accused. “I don’t know what that man gave my son. My child has become a totally different person. Even if we talk to him and threaten him, he will sneak out of the house and go there. “He told us the molester would slaughter pigs and goats to feed them, and money as well. Sometimes this man would drive the children to Ondangwa where they stayed for weeks while locked up in a shack, and at night he would molest them. “The details are chilling,” she says. The mother said the suspect lives nearby the village school and would allegedly lure boys on their way home from school. “I do not know this man. My son told me the suspect approached them one day while they were coming back from school. He allegedly invited them to his house and promised them money and gifts. “His house is always full of small boys, because I believe they are easy targets. At night he would harass them sexually.” Another parent, who also chose to remain anonymous, says the boys are no longer interested in attending school and would rather spend time at Alfonso’s house. “My son has been sneaking out of the house almost every day after school. He would sometimes tell us he’s going to play soccer with his friends and we would let him go, not knowing he is being molested. “He kept this secret from us for quite some time until he one day decided to open up when we confronted him. This man has damaged our boys, and they will live with the trauma forever.” Another parent says the community lives in fear. “Our young boys are no longer safe in this village … Some boys have spoken out but some are afraid of being harmed if they speak out.”