My normal traits daughter

[clair]

Hi I am in a dilemma, My daughter came home from school yesterday in tears with 5 friends and burst into the house in tears. She had been thrreatened to be stabbed with a knife by a girl the same age. This happened outside school. We phoned the police as she had also been assaulted. When her friends said "Dont do it S****** "as they had seen the knife she turned on them and said she was going to stab them too. This girl has been going around the school saying I have been poisoning her dogs over the back fence and using my Psychic powers to wind them up.

 

The police came out after 4 hours and said they would go andf ask her what happened and we left them with a list of names of witnesses. They phoned an hour later and said they had given her a formal warning and told her mother to dispose of the knife.

 

Went to school to see head as he regards children still in school uniform as still representing the school. He said that he had sent her home and also had other concerns regarding her welfare and it would be very difficult to permanently exclude her as the evidence was not taken by the police so he would end up with an appeal and no evidence. This is making me so mad as the girl has admitted threatening to stab my daughter and her friends and couldnt really explain herself well apart from the fact that my daughter had ginger hair.(strawbertry blonde actually) The head said he is banging his head against a brick wall as the police are not supporting him at all. He said he has had two incidents in the last few weeks involving knives and both times the police have failed him.

 

My friend went to the policestation today to ask why her daughter had not been interviewed and they told her the case was closed and that her daughters name was not on the list iof names that had been given by me. They have now reopened the case and my friend is not going to let the matter lie. What more do they want? I can just see this turning into something nasty as the whole school now knows what happened and it is sending the message of "Carry a knife and we wont do much" Has she got to actually be stabbed before the police do anything. I know it is probably a first offence but what a big one. She is ELEVEN years old. Does anyone know what rights we have as this girl has been bullying my daughter sinse she started at school and I am scared to death that she will be seriously hurt or worse. I have much respect for the head and the school and I dont want to bring the school into a bad light as this is only the second knife offence in all the years it has been open. Three lots of parents were at the school this morning regarding the incident before we were seen, complaining about this girl. Sorry to post here but I dont know where to turn anymore. Any advise from you kno wledge wizards would be great Clair

[DAS999]

Could you contact social services and state that this girl is displaying anti-social behaviour and you are concerned about her welfare / home life. I believe if you state concern about her welfare they (social services) have a obligation to investigate.

Child Line can give you free advice about the legal side of it. From what you have said the police possibly haven't done their job. I believe (but don't quote me) that if an offence has taken place involving a leathel wepon the police have to refer to social services and physically remove the wepon. For example; if you rob a sweet shop and steal 10 sweets you would probably just get a slapped wrist BUT if you have a gun / knife in your pocket (even if you don't show it) it is classed as an armed robery. You said your child was asulted well even if the knife was not used it was present!

I would try and take this matter further with the support of other mums. Could you get together and write a letter signed by all of you to the school council stating you want something done about this other child? maybe they could devise a way to keep her away from your child and the other children she bully's (different playtimes / playgrounds)

I hope this has been of some help and my thought are with you. I wish you the best of luck with the situation. Please keep us posted. <'>

[phasmid]

The heads hands are NOT tied on this one if he thinks about it. The fact that she has been warned by the police about the knife incident on the way home from school is the important fact. As it was on the way home she must have had the knife with her when she was in school. That, has to be a breech of school rules. Enough of a breech to get her excluded (if only fixed term). Get the police to write to you stating what they have found as a result of the investigation into the incident. Once you have that it ought to be enough proof for the head to act - if they have the guts. My sons did in a very similar situation - though the police actually issued a caution to go with the 10 day exclusion. If the head refuses to act when given the means to do so, write to the chair of governors and ask them to investigate.

 

Hope that helps.

[Blue-Kat]

how awful - really sorry for you daughter

 

I can't beleive the complacency after the recent knife attack in Sheffield. the school insisted is was merely a 'blade' huh?

recent knife attack on a 12 yr old

have you contacted the school governers?

are you and your friends sending your girls back into school?

-

Katya

[alibaly]

I head on the news today about a 15 year old girl being hospital after being stabbed 5 times whilst at school, 3 girls have been arrested, the weapon of choice was a pair of scissors.

 

Keep on at everyone who wil listen and take your daughters case as far as it can go, writing to social services seems like a great idea.

[DaisyProudfoot]

God, this is so awful for you. To think they're thinking of increasing the age of criminal responsibility to 12 because they don't believe children younger than this are aware of right and wrong.

 

This one must run and run, can you get the school governors involved at all?

 

Daisy