Mom seeks legal action for daughter's attack in school

THE MOTHER of a 15-year-old student of Guayaguayare Secondary School who suffers from facial paralysis after her face was slashed by a female student is now seeking legal action.

The mother told Sunday Newsday yesterday she is expected to meet with an attorney this week. Her daughter had endured years of bullying by a group of female students before she was attacked four months ago. The girl has been attending a clinic at the San Fernando General Teaching Hospital and receiving counselling.

The incident happened on June 6 at the school, and the girl’s family said since then there has been no investigation, as the group of 16-year-olds are still attending the school, while the 15-year-old is at home.

Prior to the attack, the mother of three said she had complained to the school staff about the bullying but the students still continued to harass and call her daughter names. They threatened to beat her, the mother told Newsday on Friday, and reported in yesterday's lead story.

The mother said she has also been back and forth to different Education Ministry sub-offices seeking help.

The girl had to undergo surgery and the wound is still healing after she received 16 stitches to her face.

“What my daughter went through I will not wish this on any child and it is hard to see her still suffering. No child should be bullied. Parents must teach their children it is wrong to pick on another child far attack that child. My daughter could have lost sight to one of her eyes during the fight or it could have been worse,” she said again yesterday.

The mother said what hurts her more is that her daughter did not receive any justice for what happened and the girls who caused her “emotional and physical pain are still attending classes as if normal."

Her daughter told her on the day she was attacked that the group of girls grabbed her outside a classroom. One of them pulled something out of her pocket and slashed her daughter's cheek to her ear. Doctors later said facial nerves had been severed and her daughter needed surgery.

The matter has been reported to the Mayaro Police Station.