School did nothing on bullying: father | QLD News | Breaking News in Queensland

School did nothing on bullying: father

A FATHER says a Catholic school did nothing to punish a bully who bashed his son, days before another student was stabbed to death in the schoolyard.

St Patrick's College at Shorncliffe in Brisbane.

AAP

A FATHER says a Catholic school did nothing to punish a bully who bashed his son, days before another student was stabbed to death in the schoolyard.

The father, identified only as John, says one of his sons was beaten unconscious by a fellow student at St Patrick's College at Shorncliffe on Brisbane's bayside.

He told the ABC the school did nothing despite numerous complaints about the unprovoked attack, and the bully was never punished.

Days after the early February bashing of the 15-year-old, another student, Elliott Fletcher, 12, was stabbed to death in the schoolyard.

The 13-year-old pupil charged over Elliott's death on February 15 is not the same boy who attacked John's son.

But John says the school's lack of action in his son's case shows it is lax about bullying.

He says he had so little confidence that the school would fulfill its duty of care that he withdrew two sons who studied there.

"The boy jumped on his back, I believe, and the boy then grabbed him in a headlock, dragged him about three metres and shoved him into a steel fence of which he was knocked unconscious," John told the ABC.

"There was really no medical attention, no duty of care shown towards my son given the fact he was knocked unconscious and concussed.

"He spent the next eight hours in hospital under observation."

He said he complained to the school three times by phone, and twice by email, after his son was attacked but nothing was done.

"I got to the stage where I really believe that they were not looking after my children. They were not going to ensure their safety."

He said he advised the school on February 12 that his boys would no longer study there. Within days, Elliott was stabbed to death.

"I was actually physically sick. It's something that just should not have happened," John said.

"If the bullying is managed, and the people who do the bullying are managed, then a lot of these issues may not happen in the future."

In a statement to the ABC, principal Michael Carroll said it was "not the college's position to publicly respond to allegations, especially those raised anonymously".

"Bullying has no place at St Patrick's College and the college enforces a strict anti-bullying policy," Mr Carroll said.

He said the school encouraged parents with any concerns about bullying to contact the school directly.

 
© AAP
 
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