Tuesday July 4, 2006
School suspends girls in assault video
By STEPHEN THEN
MIRI: The young girls who were caught on video assaulting another student at the beachfront here have been suspended from school.
The St Joseph Secondary School students – aged 14 and 15 – have been informed not to go to class until further notice, sources told The Star yesterday.
The school’s management board made the decision to suspend the girls after a series of meetings by its disciplinary panel over the past few days, it is learnt.
The girls’ parents have been informed of the decision.
At least five schoolgirls were shown in the footage kicking, punching, slapping and pulling the hair of the victim for about seven minutes, watched by a group of schoolboys.
The attackers, the Form Two victim from St Columba Secondary School and the boys were all in school uniforms.
The case came to light when the footage was circulated via handphone and on the Internet.
The impending fate of the schoolgirls may be worse. The indefinite suspension is only the school’s internal decision, pending a final decision from the higher education authorities.
“The worst possible fate is expulsion if the Education Ministry decides to give the heaviest punishment,” said the source.
“Since these students are still young their age may be considered a mitigating factor.
“They may be given a second chance to attend school after serving the school suspension order and other possible punishment from the school board.”
Sarawak Teachers Union president William Gani Bina had appealed for the schoolgirls to be given another chance on account of their age.
Expelling these girls from school would not help them, he said, adding that such problematic teens needed help to control their emotional outbursts.
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