School dormitories can be unruly places where the high-spirited
horseplay of hormonal teenagers can easily cross the line to become
bullying or even worse.
A week last Thursday night, November 24, a group of 15 or so
schoolboys crowded into a four-bed dormitory in King's Hospital, one of
Dublin's most prestigious boarding schools.
According to an account given by one of those boys to the Irish Times yesterday, a 13-year-old who slept in that dorm was singled out by the group of boys.
One of them "bear hugged" the 13-year-old on to the bed, while another pulled down his pants.
According to an account given by one of those boys to the Irish Times yesterday, a 13-year-old who slept in that dorm was singled out by the group of boys.
One of them "bear hugged" the 13-year-old on to the bed, while another pulled down his pants.
Someone allegedly produced a hockey stick and three boys separately
used it to "touch" the 13-year-old's bottom, or more specifically, his
coccyx. The 13-year-old was allegedly told he had a choice of having the
hockey stick inserted into his body or agreeing to fight another boy.
The boy chose to fight. According to the account given by the suspended student, a fight ensued, with boys taking off their watches, grappling each other, their hands around each other's necks.
The boy chose to fight. According to the account given by the suspended student, a fight ensued, with boys taking off their watches, grappling each other, their hands around each other's necks.
At least four boys allegedly filmed the fight on mobiles.
The fight broke up, the pupils moved on, leaving the 13-year-old and his three room-mates in their dormitory.
It's not clear what time the alleged assault happened, whether it was after lights out or earlier in evening, when boarding staff were still on duty and older pupils had yet to go to bed.
According to informed sources, a complaint was made that night to staff on duty, which suggests how upset the boy was. The co-ed school's management was told about the complaint on Friday morning, although the exact nature of the complaint at that stage is not clear.
How the alleged incident was subsequently dealt with constitutes a very serious child protection issue. The school follows child protection procedures laid down by the Department of Education, which say when concerns about children arise, they should be reported "without delay" to the State's child protection services.
The fight broke up, the pupils moved on, leaving the 13-year-old and his three room-mates in their dormitory.
It's not clear what time the alleged assault happened, whether it was after lights out or earlier in evening, when boarding staff were still on duty and older pupils had yet to go to bed.
According to informed sources, a complaint was made that night to staff on duty, which suggests how upset the boy was. The co-ed school's management was told about the complaint on Friday morning, although the exact nature of the complaint at that stage is not clear.
How the alleged incident was subsequently dealt with constitutes a very serious child protection issue. The school follows child protection procedures laid down by the Department of Education, which say when concerns about children arise, they should be reported "without delay" to the State's child protection services.
In this case, the 13-year-old was given immediate medical attention
and his parents were informed. The school's management then rang the
State's child protection agency, Tusla, to report the incident, in line
with its own child protection policies.
However, informed sources said the school simply could not get through, even though it tried repeatedly.
It was Monday before the alleged incident was formally reported to Tusla and Tuesday when An Garda Siochana were formally notified.
By then, the school's management had suspended eight pupils and pupils were ordered to hand in their mobile phones.
However, informed sources said the school simply could not get through, even though it tried repeatedly.
It was Monday before the alleged incident was formally reported to Tusla and Tuesday when An Garda Siochana were formally notified.
By then, the school's management had suspended eight pupils and pupils were ordered to hand in their mobile phones.
The story, when it broke last week, was shocking on several fronts.
Not least was the sheer brutality of schoolchildren allegedly
threatening to penetrate a 13-year old boy with a hockey stick; that the
alleged assault occurred at one of the country's oldest Protestant
boarding schools that has two Church of Ireland bishops on its board of
governors; and, more worryingly, that five days passed before gardai
were notified about the alleged assault.
Not only does the scandal present a crisis for King's Hospital.
The whole saga once again raises questions about child protection in Irish schools.
Not only does the scandal present a crisis for King's Hospital.
The whole saga once again raises questions about child protection in Irish schools.
According to former pupils of King's Hospital, old-fashioned
education principles of discipline and hard work apply.
There are strict rules on uniforms.
In the dorms, lights go out at 9.30pm for first and second-year boarders and later for older pupils.
Boarding staff patrol the corridors to ensure the pupils turn in when they are supposed to and sleep in their own adjacent living quarters.
Older pupils also help supervise and act as mentors to the younger ones. There are CCTV cameras in the corridors but not the dormitories, for security.
At a parent-teachers meeting in September, the headmaster John Rafter told the Parents' Association about the school's new mobile phone policy for first, second and third-year boarders.
The students would have to hand in their phones at night-time and place them in designated baskets in their classrooms.
There are strict rules on uniforms.
In the dorms, lights go out at 9.30pm for first and second-year boarders and later for older pupils.
Boarding staff patrol the corridors to ensure the pupils turn in when they are supposed to and sleep in their own adjacent living quarters.
Older pupils also help supervise and act as mentors to the younger ones. There are CCTV cameras in the corridors but not the dormitories, for security.
At a parent-teachers meeting in September, the headmaster John Rafter told the Parents' Association about the school's new mobile phone policy for first, second and third-year boarders.
The students would have to hand in their phones at night-time and place them in designated baskets in their classrooms.
According to the minutes of that Parents' Association meeting, John
Rafter also talked about a new practice of lighting a candle in chapel
each morning, which was a symbol for the students to quieten down for
service.
He asked parents to support the school on the need for pupils to have the correct uniform, correct length skirts, proper school grey trousers and shoes.
There was also a new behavioural policy at the school, he told them, which recorded good and bad behaviour on a daily basis.
He asked parents to support the school on the need for pupils to have the correct uniform, correct length skirts, proper school grey trousers and shoes.
There was also a new behavioural policy at the school, he told them, which recorded good and bad behaviour on a daily basis.
It was because of this discipline that former pupils were so shocked
by last week's disclosures of an alleged sexual assault.
The eyewitness account of what is said to happened published in the Irish Times brought to mind a scene in the RTE crime drama Love Hate, in which a character is raped in prison by other inmates using a pool cue.
"It's like something out of Lord of the Flies," said one former pupil last week who was "shocked" and "very surprised" at the accounts she had read in the newspapers. "My opinion is that this did not just happen out of the blue, this boy may have been targeted before. There is an issue if the school did not step in before it got to this level."
The board of governors of King's Hospital held an emergency meeting in Dublin yesterday and was briefed on the alleged incident by the school's management.
The eyewitness account of what is said to happened published in the Irish Times brought to mind a scene in the RTE crime drama Love Hate, in which a character is raped in prison by other inmates using a pool cue.
"It's like something out of Lord of the Flies," said one former pupil last week who was "shocked" and "very surprised" at the accounts she had read in the newspapers. "My opinion is that this did not just happen out of the blue, this boy may have been targeted before. There is an issue if the school did not step in before it got to this level."
The board of governors of King's Hospital held an emergency meeting in Dublin yesterday and was briefed on the alleged incident by the school's management.
The crisis has raised serious questions for the school: what was the
nature of the complaint that was reported?
Why did the school authorities not do as Tusla's website states and contact An Garda Siochana after office hours?
And did King's Hospital comply with its own child protection procedures?
King's Hospital has insisted that it did.
In a statement on Friday, it sought to correct "certain inaccuracies" in the media reporting, saying that the safety, health and welfare of the student concerned was the school's priority.
"The management and staff have actioned the correct procedures and requirements, including liaising with the appropriate agencies. We also ensured that the parents of the alleged victim and of the students allegedly involved were briefed as soon as possible. At no stage did the management and staff fail to act on legal advice. Neither did the school seek advice from the State agencies by using hypothetical scenarios."
Why did the school authorities not do as Tusla's website states and contact An Garda Siochana after office hours?
And did King's Hospital comply with its own child protection procedures?
King's Hospital has insisted that it did.
In a statement on Friday, it sought to correct "certain inaccuracies" in the media reporting, saying that the safety, health and welfare of the student concerned was the school's priority.
"The management and staff have actioned the correct procedures and requirements, including liaising with the appropriate agencies. We also ensured that the parents of the alleged victim and of the students allegedly involved were briefed as soon as possible. At no stage did the management and staff fail to act on legal advice. Neither did the school seek advice from the State agencies by using hypothetical scenarios."
The school's board of governor's issued a statement on Sunday morning: "The
Board of Governors of The King's Hospital School met yesterday,
Saturday, 3rd December 2016, for a full review of this very serious
issue. The care and wellbeing of all students and the wider school community is of paramount importance to the Board. The Governors are committed to the due process and fully support the external investigations currently underway. In
our role as Governors, we will continue to actively monitor the
situation and work closely with school management to ensure the safety
and wellbeing of the children involved and all of the students in the
school."
Tusla said it could not comment on the case.
However, a spokesperson pointed to Tusla's website which says that
anyone wishing to report a child protection concern should contact their
local duty social welfare officer or An Garda Siochana outside of
office hours.
The Garda investigation continues.
The delay in reporting the assault means possible contamination of the suspected crime scene and the possibility of evidence going missing.
Detectives are examining the confiscated mobile phones, and CCTV footage from the corridors may also be relevant.
The eight suspended pupils have not yet been interviewed.
The Garda investigation is unlikely to be the only inquiry into this alleged incident.
The Children's Ombudsman, Emily Logan, or the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Geoffrey Shannon, may be asked intervene.
The Garda investigation continues.
The delay in reporting the assault means possible contamination of the suspected crime scene and the possibility of evidence going missing.
Detectives are examining the confiscated mobile phones, and CCTV footage from the corridors may also be relevant.
The eight suspended pupils have not yet been interviewed.
The Garda investigation is unlikely to be the only inquiry into this alleged incident.
The Children's Ombudsman, Emily Logan, or the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Geoffrey Shannon, may be asked intervene.