By Paul Nyathi | Roman Catholic Church run MARIST Brothers Secondary School in Dete, has dismissed 16 Form Four pupils who last month ganged up to torture some Form Two boys at the school.

The sixteen boys were found given transfer letters to seek learning places in other schools after disciplinary hearings found them guilty of heavily torturing about thirty younger form two boys.

The torture took place at a Form Four hostel referred to by students as the “Palace” and lasted for about five hours between 10PM and 2AM.

The form four boys who allegedly had previous disciplinary cases on them were drunk after consuming a fermented powdered cereal, when they tortured the younger boys accusing them of stealing foodstuffs.

The victims were interrogated, forced to drink water from the toilet bowl, eat bath soap, wash clothes, bark like dogs and pull trunks while some were yoked together like a span of oxen, rammed onto the walls, chocked, kicked, punched and hit with sticks and belts.

Two boys reportedly had to go for surgery on the groin and abdomen, while some had neck, arm, fingers and rib fractures after being kicked and hit with an assortment of weapons.

Matabeleland North acting Provincial Education Director Mr Jabulani Mpofu confirmed the exclusion of the bullies from the school.

“They have been excluded from the school and they can look for places elsewhere but not return to Marist,” said Mr Mpofu.