Locals React To Oprah’s School Scandal

In the wake of the sexual abuse allegations leveled against Oprah Winfrey’s all-girls school, Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson traveled to South Africa to uncover new developments in the scandal.

And as she traveled to the school where the child molestation and violent physical abuse allegations surfaced, Shaun uncovered shocking details that had been heavily guarded.

“The only time that [Oprah] was quite open to the media about what was happening to the school was day one. When everyone left, all the guests left the doors closed, and the doors closed on the public as well,” South African reporter Gavin Prins told Access. “There is definitely potential for a cover up.”

Prins, the senior entertainment reporter for the South African newspaper, Rapport, revealed that Oprah is outraged at the people she hired to keep the girls safe.

“Just as upset as she is with the dorm parents, she’s also upset with the school principal, Dr. Mbulelo Mzimane,” Prins noted.

And that’s because Oprah reportedly wasn’t even informed of the alleged abuse until months after the victim complained.

“The girls complained for quite a few months and nothing was done,” Prins added. “And just when one little girl decided that she had enough, she left the school and refused to go back. That’s when Dr. Mzimane called Oprah and said, ‘Listen here, we’ve got trouble at the school.’”

Armed with her own team of detectives, including veteran Chicago police office Robert Farley, Oprah conducted her own investigation first. Then, she handed the findings over to South African authorities.

“We have got policeman who are quite skilled to do their jobs,” Prins concluded.

Lungelo Dlamini, spokesperson for the South African police’s Child Protection Unit, told Access Hollywood that while his team is under heavy fire for not being more forthright with information, it’s for good reason.

“Why?” Dlamini asked. “Maybe we don’t want to disclose more information. We are dealing with young girls here.”

But have the scandal and the allegations changed the way people in the small town of Henley on Klip think about Oprah as the woman who wanted to make a difference? The answer on Friday’s Access Hollywood!

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