Pupil kicked and bitten in attack from bully
A grade 8 girl was allegedly assaulted by an 18-year-old pupil at school.
A mother is seeking justice after her daughter was allegedly attacked by a fellow pupil at Sandringham High School.
Avishka Rameshwer alleged that the assault on her child was treated as a ‘joke’ by management of the school. The Grade 8 pupil, who had scratches on her face, was too traumatised to speak to the North Eastern Tribune.
According to Rameshwer, her daughter was standing on a staircase during break when an 18-year-old Grade 11 pupil attacked her.
“This girl accused my girl of gossiping about her,” said Rameshwer. “My child is too young to gossip about someone.”
She added that her daughter was kicked, pulled by her hair and bitten while being held on the ground by the assailant’s friends, until another pupil rescued her.
Rameshwer said when she went to report the incident at the school, the principal was not available. She was attended to by a teacher who apparently did not take the matter seriously.
“The teacher told me pupils were advised not to disturb the bully because she was short-tempered,” said Rameshwer. “How can the school do nothing about it? What about the safety of our children at the school, if a school can keep someone like that?”
Rameshwer said the school told her that both pupils would be suspended. “However, only my daughter was suspended and the bully is still in class, and according to the school they could not get hold of her parents and therefore could not suspend her without talking to her parents,” she said.
“I am shocked by the school system, actually I am disgusted. I want justice for my child who is now afraid to go back to the school in fear of abuse. There is no safety in that school,” she said.
Rameshwer opened an assault case at the Sandringham Police Station.
When contacted about the incident, management of the school referred all queries to the department of education.
Spokesperson of the Gauteng Department of Education Phumla Sekhonyane said, “The department is aware of the incident. The fighting erupted as a result of a feud between the two learners. Those learners have been suspended and they will appear before the court on the 18 March 2014.”
