When Teresa Mordoh’s son, Julio, died by suicide after allegedly being sexually assaulted by a teacher at St John’s College, her world was shattered. But in the depths of grief, Mordoh found a new purpose: to ensure that no other child or family would suffer in silence. She founded an organisation dedicated to child protection and systemic change in South African schools.
‘The one and only promise I made to my son at the funeral was that he died in pain, but not in vain. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, I just knew that it couldn’t just end there. There are too many children suffering, and I just felt that I needed to do something.”
These were the words of a tearful Teresa Mordoh as she sat down for an interview with Daily Maverick to discuss what inspired her to start STOPS (Stop Trauma of Pupils in School), an NGO dedicated to child protection and systemic change in South African schools.
Teresa is the mother of Julio Mordoh, who tragically took his life after years of suffering from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following alleged sexual abuse by a former teacher at St John’s College in Johannesburg.
Julio’s story: Grooming, abuse and systemic blindness
