A former matron at Oprah Winfrey’s school in South Africa has pleaded “not guilty” at the beginning of her trial for allegedly abusing students.

The BBC News reports that, “the six teenaged alleged victims will testify in private as the prosecutor said they were ‘very scared.’ Virginia Mokgobo, 28, who worked at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy near Johannesburg, was arrested last year.”

The TV talk show host admitted that she herself was abused as a child and has campaigned against abuse in the U.S. The school was opened at a cost of $40 million in 2007.

Oprah Winfrey pledged to build the academy after a meeting with former South African President Nelson Mandela about six years ago, and she personally interviewed many of the South African girls from low-income families, who applied for the initial 150 places at the school.

According to the BBC, “Ms. Mokgobo was arrested last year on charges including assault, indecent assault and soliciting under-age girls to perform indecent acts.”

Ms. Winfrey has described the ensuing scandal as one of the most devastating experiences of her life, and said she would not renew the head mistress’s contract. She also praised the students for reporting on the alleged abuse.

To read the entire article from the BBC News, link here:

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