DURBAN – A 35-year-old French employee of luxury resort chain Club Med has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of a teenage male guest at the group’s flagship South African resort on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast.

The accused appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was granted bail of R5 000. He is charged with rape and sexual assault, according to the National Prosecuting Authority.

The teenager was on holiday with his family at the Club Med South Africa Beach & Safari resort at Tinley Manor, approximately 14 kilometres north of Ballito and 60 kilometres from Durban.

Prosecutors allege the accused, a GO or “gentil organisateur” responsible for organising activities and entertainment for guests, drank alcohol with the teenager before inviting him to staff-only accommodation where he allegedly raped him on 22 July.

The victim and his parents suspect the teenager’s drinks may have been spiked, according to local media reports. The accused was arrested the following day.

As part of his bail conditions, the French national has been ordered to surrender his passport, notify police before changing his verified address and refrain from contacting witnesses. The case has been postponed for further investigation.

Club Med said in a statement it “takes any allegation of sexual assault or inappropriate behaviour extremely seriously” and had activated its “crisis and safeguarding procedures” once it became aware of the incident.

“The employee concerned was placed on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations,” the company said.

The R2,1 billion resort opened on 4 July and represents the largest single investment in South Africa’s tourism sector in nearly five decades. It is the first Club Med property in sub-Saharan Africa.

The resort was developed through a partnership between Club Med and the Collins Residential Consortium, with financing from the Industrial Development Corporation and Absa. It features 411 rooms and suites, combining a beachfront resort with the Vikela Safari Lodge located within the 18 000-hectare Mpilo Game Reserve near Pongola.

The resort is expected to attract approximately 1 000 international visitors per week through King Shaka International Airport. During its 28-month construction period, the project generated more than 2 300 direct and indirect jobs.

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