Ayla
15-09-2008, 12:00 PM
Fucking revolting!!
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24331321-952,00.html
Sex attack seen as 'childhood experiment' at Queensland school
By Des Houghton
September 12, 2008 12:01am
Article from: The Courier-Mail
* Girl, 7, sexually assaulted by boy, 7, at school
* Girl made to "perform oral sex on the boy"
* Principal dismissed attack as "childhood experiment"
THE principal of a school where a seven-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a classmate dismissed the attack as a "childhood experiment" and failed to contact parents or police.
The outraged girl's parents say their daughter was made to feel she was in the wrong and ordered back to the classroom where the attack took place – with her seven-year-old assailant sitting just three rows behind her.
The case erupted in late May when another boy told teachers he had seen the girl performing oral sex on the boy in the Year 2 classroom at lunchtime.
The witness said the boy had menaced the girl and threatened her with violence. However, the attacker continued to be welcomed at the country state school, making it impossible for the girl to return.
"It's disgusting how the school has behaved," the victim's grandmother said. "They did everything wrong."
The girl's distraught parents said yesterday the State Education Department and the Department of Child Safety have washed their hands of the case and that a letter of complaint to Premier Anna Bligh went unanswered.
However, Ms Bligh said: "My office dealt with this correspondence by requesting that a qualified Education Queensland officer contact the girl's grandmother personally, and I understand the matter has now been investigated fully."
The parents now fear the attacks may have been going on for two months with their traumatised daughter experiencing mood swings and coming home with bruises.
"He said he would kill her if she said anything," the 30-year-old mother said.
"He has admitted hitting her hard with his hand and a ruler."
It is believed the school was alerted to another sex attack involving a different child.
13 cases of sexual abuse every week, says crusader
Child sexual abuse campaigner Hetty Johnson said there were 13 new cases of sexual abuse reported in Queensland every week. Most involved schoolchildren aged between five and eight, she said.
Ms Johnson, the executive director of Bravehearts, said the ages of assailants and their victims was getting lower and lower, probably because of easy access to internet pornography.
She demanded the principal be sacked after revelations she did not call the police and had interviewed the children without their parents' present.
"It's inexcusable," she said.
The mother said the principal did not phone her until hours after her daughter was abused.
"She said, 'don't worry, it's normal childhood behaviour'," the mother said. "I couldn't believe her and collapsed on the floor. She was so insensitive.
"My world had the bottom ripped out of it and she was telling me it was normal behaviour. Can you believe that?
"How the hell could this happen? The children were unsupervised and an empty room was left unlocked – both breaches of Education Department rules.
"The school attempted to sweep it under the carpet at every opportunity. The police were never contacted. The whole thing is disgusting.
"They expected our daughter to return to the class with the boy present.
"They said they would keep an eye on things and there would be 'low risk' he would re-offend," she said.
Department of Child Safety 'no power to intervene'
Police said the boy was too young to prosecute.
The Department of Child Safety said it had no power to intervene as it was not a family matter involving children in care. The furious mum said: "They all traded my daughter's purity and innocence to cover their own arses.
"Would they treat their own children this way? I think not."
The girl returned to the school when the assailant's family suddenly shifted towns.
The girl's father said he did not know whether the boy had been counselled. "As far as we know the problem has just moved on," he said. "Although our prime concern is for our daughter's welfare, we are also concerned for the boy. He's a victim, too."
The family said they had not received an apology or an explanation from the Education Department. "All they would say was that the matter was referred to the department's legal department," he said.
The family is now faced with costly nine-hour round trips to take their daughter to see a specialist counsellor in a regional capital. So far the department has not offered to cover the counselling or travel costs.
Ms Johnson said it was essential the children received proper counselling.
"What will that boy be capable of when he is 15 or 16?" she asked. "If they don't do something two kids' lives will be seriously derailed."
She said sexual predators were usually the victims of sex abuse themselves.
She said families had the right to be confident their children were safe at school.
Ms Johnson accused the school of failing in its duty of care and could not understand why the principal had not raised the alarm immediately.
"What planet is she living on?" she asked.
Safety of students 'our highest priority', says Government
The family of the little girl sexually abused by a classmate was offered counselling but declined, a spokeswoman for state Education Minister Rod Welford said yesterday.
An Education Queensland spokesman claimed the allegations were fully investigated and denied the school tried to sweep the matter under the carpet.
"The school immediately reported the matter to its education district office, Queensland Police Service and the Department of Child Safety, once it became aware of the allegations. The two students were separately interviewed by senior school staff and both sets of parents were notified of the alleged incident," he said.
Anna Bligh handed the matter to her parliamentary secretary, Bonny Barry, who wrote to the family on June 10. She acknowledged the parents' assertion that the school's initial response was insensitive and said: "I believe that the principal will provide a written apology to you."
She insisted the safety and well-being of students was "our highest priority".
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24331321-952,00.html
Sex attack seen as 'childhood experiment' at Queensland school
By Des Houghton
September 12, 2008 12:01am
Article from: The Courier-Mail
* Girl, 7, sexually assaulted by boy, 7, at school
* Girl made to "perform oral sex on the boy"
* Principal dismissed attack as "childhood experiment"
THE principal of a school where a seven-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a classmate dismissed the attack as a "childhood experiment" and failed to contact parents or police.
The outraged girl's parents say their daughter was made to feel she was in the wrong and ordered back to the classroom where the attack took place – with her seven-year-old assailant sitting just three rows behind her.
The case erupted in late May when another boy told teachers he had seen the girl performing oral sex on the boy in the Year 2 classroom at lunchtime.
The witness said the boy had menaced the girl and threatened her with violence. However, the attacker continued to be welcomed at the country state school, making it impossible for the girl to return.
"It's disgusting how the school has behaved," the victim's grandmother said. "They did everything wrong."
The girl's distraught parents said yesterday the State Education Department and the Department of Child Safety have washed their hands of the case and that a letter of complaint to Premier Anna Bligh went unanswered.
However, Ms Bligh said: "My office dealt with this correspondence by requesting that a qualified Education Queensland officer contact the girl's grandmother personally, and I understand the matter has now been investigated fully."
The parents now fear the attacks may have been going on for two months with their traumatised daughter experiencing mood swings and coming home with bruises.
"He said he would kill her if she said anything," the 30-year-old mother said.
"He has admitted hitting her hard with his hand and a ruler."
It is believed the school was alerted to another sex attack involving a different child.
13 cases of sexual abuse every week, says crusader
Child sexual abuse campaigner Hetty Johnson said there were 13 new cases of sexual abuse reported in Queensland every week. Most involved schoolchildren aged between five and eight, she said.
Ms Johnson, the executive director of Bravehearts, said the ages of assailants and their victims was getting lower and lower, probably because of easy access to internet pornography.
She demanded the principal be sacked after revelations she did not call the police and had interviewed the children without their parents' present.
"It's inexcusable," she said.
The mother said the principal did not phone her until hours after her daughter was abused.
"She said, 'don't worry, it's normal childhood behaviour'," the mother said. "I couldn't believe her and collapsed on the floor. She was so insensitive.
"My world had the bottom ripped out of it and she was telling me it was normal behaviour. Can you believe that?
"How the hell could this happen? The children were unsupervised and an empty room was left unlocked – both breaches of Education Department rules.
"The school attempted to sweep it under the carpet at every opportunity. The police were never contacted. The whole thing is disgusting.
"They expected our daughter to return to the class with the boy present.
"They said they would keep an eye on things and there would be 'low risk' he would re-offend," she said.
Department of Child Safety 'no power to intervene'
Police said the boy was too young to prosecute.
The Department of Child Safety said it had no power to intervene as it was not a family matter involving children in care. The furious mum said: "They all traded my daughter's purity and innocence to cover their own arses.
"Would they treat their own children this way? I think not."
The girl returned to the school when the assailant's family suddenly shifted towns.
The girl's father said he did not know whether the boy had been counselled. "As far as we know the problem has just moved on," he said. "Although our prime concern is for our daughter's welfare, we are also concerned for the boy. He's a victim, too."
The family said they had not received an apology or an explanation from the Education Department. "All they would say was that the matter was referred to the department's legal department," he said.
The family is now faced with costly nine-hour round trips to take their daughter to see a specialist counsellor in a regional capital. So far the department has not offered to cover the counselling or travel costs.
Ms Johnson said it was essential the children received proper counselling.
"What will that boy be capable of when he is 15 or 16?" she asked. "If they don't do something two kids' lives will be seriously derailed."
She said sexual predators were usually the victims of sex abuse themselves.
She said families had the right to be confident their children were safe at school.
Ms Johnson accused the school of failing in its duty of care and could not understand why the principal had not raised the alarm immediately.
"What planet is she living on?" she asked.
Safety of students 'our highest priority', says Government
The family of the little girl sexually abused by a classmate was offered counselling but declined, a spokeswoman for state Education Minister Rod Welford said yesterday.
An Education Queensland spokesman claimed the allegations were fully investigated and denied the school tried to sweep the matter under the carpet.
"The school immediately reported the matter to its education district office, Queensland Police Service and the Department of Child Safety, once it became aware of the allegations. The two students were separately interviewed by senior school staff and both sets of parents were notified of the alleged incident," he said.
Anna Bligh handed the matter to her parliamentary secretary, Bonny Barry, who wrote to the family on June 10. She acknowledged the parents' assertion that the school's initial response was insensitive and said: "I believe that the principal will provide a written apology to you."
She insisted the safety and well-being of students was "our highest priority".