Virgin Active Stellenbosch Explains Why They Dropped Case Against ‘Gym Masturbator’! Not that we’re surprised at the outcome but the gym group confirmed that it had dropped a sexual assault case against the 18-year-old masturbator in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court Thursday morning.

Virgin Active spokesperson Carla White said the man was banned for life after a video of him allegedly masturbating while watching an unsuspecting female gym member doing squats went viral back in May.

“We took immediate action when we were presented with the video‚ identifying and banning the member for life. What he did was wrong‚ however we are of the opinion that psychological help may be more appropriate than criminal sanction‚” White said.

“We believe this is the most balanced way to deal with the situation. We are aware of the outcry surrounding the incident from various interest groups. Our clubs are shared spaces‚ and we took action in accordance with our rules‚ which are in place to make our clubs safe places for training. We cannot control the behaviour of individuals‚ but we can take action when their behaviour contravenes our rules. Our sanctions are applied uniformly‚ regardless of age‚ race or religion,” White said on their decision.