YET?ANOTHER?CASE of sexual molestation of a student at a school is being reported.
An upset woman contacted the SATURDAY SUN to tell about the alleged attempted rape of her 15-year-old neice by a male student because, she said, she got no satisfaction from the school’s acting principal.
When the SATURDAY?SUN contacted the acting principal yesterday, he said that it was a matter that was settled by the girl’s parent.
However, the aunt’s concern is that the mother [her sister] is “not too articulate” and cannot represent herself well.
She also described the abused girl as “a slow learner”.
The incident is reported to have taken place last Wednesday about 15 minutes after school was dismissed. The aunt said her niece told her that she was at the school awaiting a bus when a male student told her someone wanted to see her in the school hall.
When she entered the hall another male student took her bag off her shoulder, lifted her skirt and tried to have sex with her.
The student who had called her to the hall took pictures of the incident, the aunt said, quoting the girl.
The incident was reported to a teacher and the mother was summoned by letter to visit the school.
The aunt said that when the mother visited the school on Thursday she was not given any clear indication on what action would be taken.
The acting principal informed her that he would deal with the matter and report back to her. He further instructed her not to say anything to anyone about the incident.
The aunt said: “I called the school to speak to the acting principal because her mother is not very intellectual but the acting principal said, ‘You are not the child’s mother; you cannot ask those questions . . ..’”
Contacted by the SATURDAY?SUN, Deputy Chief Education Officer Joy Gittens said that the Ministry of Education was unaware of the situation and a call would be made to the acting principal.
There have been four other reported incidents of molestations at schools this year prompting investigations by the Ministry of Education and the Royal Barbados Police Force. In the reported cases:
• A seven-year-old boy reportedly assaulted a female classmate at a St Michael school.
• A seven-year-old boy was accused of sexually assaulting two eight-year-old girls at a school in the north.
• A secondary school girl reported she was assaulted by three boys in the boys’ bathroom of a St Michael school.
• A four-year-old boy was reportedly buggered by other boys at a Christ Church school.
