Child advocacy group accuses Iain Wares of avoiding accountability by claiming memory loss

Child advocacy group Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) has accused alleged paedophile teacher Iain Wares of avoiding accountability by claiming memory loss.

Wares appeared in the Wynberg Regional Court on Tuesday, where he was cross-examined by the prosecution in his sexual abuse case.

The 86-year-old is accused of sexually abusing a former pupil, known only as Stephen, while he was a teacher at Rondebosch Boys Prep School in 1988.

He's also facing 90 charges related to the sexual and physical abuse of more than 60 boys in Scotland five decades ago.

WMACA said Wares's testimony that he taught 2,700 boys over his career and that he cannot remember individual children should not be accepted as a justification for his alleged actions.

The organisation's Luke Lamprecht said they're impressed with the prosecutor's cross examination that she found it convenient for Wares not to remember the complainant after knowing him for many years.

"She then also put it to him that it's very unlikely that the complainant was making up the complaint, as he does not want to be named, so it cannot be for fame. The other argument made was that he followed media reports."
 
Closing arguments in this matter are scheduled for 19 February 2026.