Girls Model School Belfast: Mums speak out on school bullying claims and ‘hit list’ of pupils - PSNI investigating

On Thursday last week 150 people protested outside the school, saying they would not be sending their daughters back until the issue is resolved.

North Belfast DUP MLA Brian Kingston told the News Letter he has spoken to the principal, head of board of governors, and North Belfast Police Area Commander Alan Lowry.

He said the incident was witnessed by teaching staff and that the area commander has seen CCTV footage of it.

The MLA said the playground incident involved two ethnic minority pupils and two white pupils, but that he now understands there have been “around five incidents” since the start of the school year.

Police and the school have firmly rejected claims that knives have been present in school. Parents who have spoken to the News Letter say their daughters have not mentioned them either.

It appears that publicised protests outside the school may have been called off this week due to GCSE exams taking place.

Gordon Hamilton, whose daughter is a pupil, told the News Letter: “I'd seen over the weekend on social media that they were talking about calling the protest off this week because the kids have GCSEs.”

He brought his daughter to an exam on Monday and there was no sign of a protest, he said.

BRIAN KINGSTON MLA SPEAKS

Mr Kingston said he wanted to see all pupils back in school. “I have heard about a number of incidents that have occurred since the start of this school year and allegations of bullying,” he told the News Letter this week.

“When I met the school principal, she said that they couldn't discuss individual pupils or individual matters with me, which I understand. But I told them I wanted to pass on the concerns that were raised with me, and did so, because as I've said previously, the school needs to act to restore confidence.

“All pupils should be in school, and I want to see that that being the case. The school says any instances of bullying or physical behaviour will be dealt with robustly and will not be tolerated by the school in any circumstances.”

He urged parents to provide any relevant information to the school and police investigations.

LYNSEY TELLS HER STORY

Lynsey (not her real name) says her 13-year-old daughter was hurt in the playground incident.

“The whole thing has been mishandled by the school,” she told the News Letter. “My daughter was attacked and I didn't even get a phone call from the school.

“She was kept in a room alone with an ice pack and was not allowed a phone call. I was alerted by another pupil about an hour after the attack. She came home crying.”

She said that three teachers were hit as they tried to stop the violence.

“My daughter's friends intervened to save her. She was repeatedly punched and kicked and had hair pulled out and her head banged off the ground three times. I took her to hospital to have her checked over. The school has said that everyone involved was in the wrong.

“But I told the school at 9am on Tuesday (November 12) that my daughter was on a hit list and was going to be attacked. Then at 1pm she was attacked. She was top of the hit list.”

When she went to A&E to have her daughter checked out, family of other girls involved arrived soon after.

“I asked to get my daughter into a separate room because she was so afraid. My daughter has witnessed bullying for months. Victims are being made to feel they should do what the bullies say.”

She said the alleged playground assault began when her daughter's friend approached someone and asked if her name was on the hit list. (The News Letter has seen the alleged hit list).

“My daughter then tried to protect her friend but then she was attacked too.”

Lynsey says her daughter has been suspended briefly in the wake of the violence. “I am not happy about it.”

Her daughter's black Muslim friend was beaten several weeks ago and her daughter attempted to defend her. She said that attack was not carried out by a white pupil.

Lynsey added: “My daughter is not racist".

She believes there is an attempt among some ethnic minority girls to stop others mixing with white girls.

“The bullies say: ‘They [black girls] shouldn't be talking to white people - you need to be in our gang’. They challenge muslim girls: ‘Why are you friends with the white people?’"

SUZANNE OPENS UP

Another mother, Suzanne (not her real name), told the News Letter her 13-year-old daughter was attacked last month by four girls wearing hijabs.

“They all beat her up and pulled her hair out. But the school didn't contact me.”

She said her daughter had been receiving threats.

"There are other girls wearing hijabs who are petrified of them [bullies] and are afraid of being blamed for what is going on."

Suzanne claimed that the violence was initially justified by the alleged bullies with a claim that her daughter “had tried to pull [a pupil's] hijab off”.

“But CCTV showed that this was not true.”

Then it was claimed her daughter had banged into someone “which my daughter denied”.

“But she was made to apologise to them anyway. My daughter just will not hit back,” she added.

Her daughter has been chased around the playground, she said.

“The school says 'let us deal with it'. But my daughter keeps sending me text messages from school saying she is so scared.”

Suzanne said there is a ‘hit list’ of 10 girls that are being singled out for attack.

“As children are beaten up they are marked off the list.”

She believes the list is genuine because she says that girls named on it have been beaten up in the order in which they appear on the list.

“This disproves any suggestion that these are simply random school fights.”

The police came to her home about the issue but her daughter did not initially make a statement as the school had advised just to ask for a crime number.

“But now the police have come back to me, saying: 'We have had multiple threats against pupils in the school. Will you make a formal statement?’”

Suzanne says she saw some of the girls involved when collecting her daughter after school recently.

“I saw the fear in my daughter's eyes as she got into my car.”

She added: “My hair is falling out with worry. I am at the doctor’s with worry.”

The News Letter presented the testimonies of both mothers in full to the school, Education Authority and the PSNI.

None of them challenged any aspect of what the two mothers said, either on or off the record.

PRINCIPAL RESPONDS

Responding to the claims, Paula Stuart, principal of Belfast Model School for Girls, said: “The safety and well-being of all of our students remains our highest priority.

"We are following the robust, established processes and procedures, as set out by the Education Authority (EA) and continue to work closely with EA and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

“Due to an ongoing PSNI investigation, and in line with safeguarding procedures, I am limited in what I can say in relation to this incident however, I wish to reassure parents and students that the PSNI were on site to view CCTV and no knives were involved.

“I would reiterate that many of the claims on social media are entirely inaccurate and ask for our school community’s support in helping to stop the spread of misinformation, which has significant potential to negatively impact our young people’s sense of safety and wellbeing.

“Our school remains committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for all our pupils.”

PSNI RESPONDS

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police received a number of reports of an assault which occurred at a school in North Belfast on Tuesday 12th November.

"Inquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident, which is being investigated as a hate crime. Officers are liaising with key stakeholders in relation to this matter. No arrests have been made at this stage.”

Police appealed for information on tel 101 ref 1160-12/11/24 or via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ or via Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 or http://crimestoppers-uk.org/

The Education Authority responded that it and the PSNI are working with the school “to ensure the safety and well-being of all our pupils”.

It requested an end to “inaccurate claims or fears being expressed on social media” and appealed for community support “to maintain a safe learning environment for all children”.

The News Letter is actively seeking reaction from all sides of the story.

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