St Mary’s College, Wellington, has put extra staff on duty after a student was assaulted in the school grounds last Thursday.
The assault was carried out by a former St Mary’s student.
Parents and caregivers were officially told about the incident through an email from the school last Friday afternoon.
The email said the current student had not been “seriously harmed” but the event was “upsetting for all those involved and for students who witnessed the event.”
“At present we are ensuring the victim and her family are being supported in every way possible.”
“An arrest was made and a two-year trespass order against the offending person has been put in place,” the email explained.
The email also said staff have been told to be “extra vigilant”.
An assembly was held to let all students know about the assault while parents and caregivers were encouraged to “talk to your daughters about wise use of social media”.
After the incident, a parent said he understood security guards were patrolling outside of the school.
He said he was disappointed it had taken so long for the school to contact parents, given that parents were likely to have been told about the incident on Thursday afternoon by their children.
A safety plan has been developed and staff have been told what to do if the former student tries to enter the school grounds again.
St Mary’s College is an all-girls Catholic secondary school and is considered one of the oldest existing schools in the country.
Source
- Stuff
- Image: St Mary’s College