One student, 18, has alleged that Fiona Viotti, 30, became ‘controlling’ when he tried to leave their relationship (Picture: Facebook/Bishops Yearbook)

A married private school teacher has been accused of having an ‘intense sexual relationship’ with a teenage student, with several other boys also potentially implicated.

Fiona Viotti, 30, resigned from Bishops Diocesan College in Cape Town last Thursday after the parents of a student, 18, complained.

The young man claims he was initially a ‘willing participant’ in a sexual relationship with the former model, but when he tried to end it, she became controlling and he ‘couldn’t get out’.

The all-boys school has appointed an attorney to probe allegations that Viotti, the niece of South African rugby coach Nick Mallett, had sexual relationships with other boys at the school.




Investigators are planning on interviewing 40 other students, according to TimesLIVE.

Explicit videos of Viotti allegedly performing sex acts are also said to have been sent around boys at the £15,000-a-year school and later appeared on porn sites.

A parent told IOL: ‘He was a willing participant in the beginning but became a victim when he couldn’t get out of it.

Explicit videos of Viotti performing sex acts are said to have circled online (Picture: Facebook)

‘The teacher started texting him to come to her house on the campus and that’s how it started but it got to the stage where he had enough.

‘But the teacher wouldn’t let him go and he went to his parents for help and they went to the headmaster and now it is all coming out.’

A former schoolboy at Bishops Diocesan College who was taught water polo by Viotti said he was shocked by the allegations.

He said: ‘Every red blooded male at the school was besotted with Fiona as she looked like a supermodel.

‘But the thing was she was never flirty and comes across as a very shy and innocent and very nice girl and to hear these allegations has just blown me and a lot of the guys I went to school with away.’

The school said in a statement that they are probing an allegation of ‘serious misconduct’ by a former teacher, and there is reason to believe that several boys ‘have been affected over a number of years.’

School principal Guy Pearson said: ‘We can confirm that there have been several boys who have been affected over a number of years.

Viotti has also resigned her job coaching the Western Province Under 19’s schools water polo boys team (Picture: Bishops Yearbook)

‘The investigation into the serious sexual misconduct of one of our female teachers is ongoing and we have appealed to boys and parents for any information that will add to our understanding.

‘We understand there will be lots of questions but please appreciate this is a matter which needs to be managed with the utmost sensitivity and I cannot share more information at this stage.’

The school have stated that a team of psychologists and psychiatrists are available to any boy or family member that may have been affected by the events surrounding the teacher.

The South African Police Service has not been involved as the schoolboy is two years over the age of consent and no laws appear to have been broken.



Viotti married husband Pavo Viotti, 32, who has a top venture capital and private equity company in Cape Town, 13 months ago.

However, the couple – who met while backpacking in Colorado in 2008 – is said to have separated as a result of the scandal.

Venture capitalist Pavo Viotti married Viotti 13 months ago, but the couple is said to have now split (Picture: LinkedIn)

The former model’s lawyer William Booth has warned that the explicit videos were posted online without permission and that forwarding them on is illegal.

Mr Booth told News24: ‘We are quite happy that one video has been officially removed and that is positive. However we are continuing with our investigations to establish who posted it without consent.

‘We want to know how it got there and who by and at the moment we are waiting for the school to finish its investigation and asking everybody to respect my client and her family members’ rights’

Viotti has also resigned her job coaching the Western Province Under 19’s schools water polo boys team and is believed to be with her parents at their home in Cape Town.

Her father Dave Mallett, who is a history teacher at Bishops Diocesan College, sent a message to parents saying his family faced ‘tough times ahead’ and stated that ‘Fiona’s health and safety is our priority right now’.

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