Boy, 15, attacked by schoolmate's father at school

A man went into the Marabella South Secondary School on Wednesday and, without warning, started hitting a 15-year-old boy.

Up to Friday police were searching for the man, who lives at Tarouba.

The victim, Seon Constantine, a 15-year-old form three student, was discharged from the San Fernando General Hospital at about 4 pm on Thursday.

With a swollen right eye, Constantine recalled that the attack happened at about 2.30 pm, when school ended. In full view of other students, the man walked up to him and began to cuff him.

“I was walking past classrooms, heading to the bus to go home. The man did not say anything, he just started cuffing me. His rings were large. He had me in a headlock and it happened near the security booth. When he finished, he went in a car.”

Students began gathering nearby and when as the car was leaving, they started throwing missiles at it. The driver did not stop.

An ambulance took the injured boy to the hospital and doctors kept him overnight.

The Constantine family later learned the attacker is the father of a student from another class. Constantine and the student had an altercation around lunchtime, during which he admitted to slapping the boy.

Speaking at his family’s home, Constantine said: “He was bullying my friend. I was defending my friend. They (students) would often pass and slap him for nothing when he is alone.

"I am not a bully.”

His father, Dillon, added: “The car was not supposed to be in the compound. There were three other people in it.

"The school contacted me yesterday (Thursday) and I was supposed to meet with staff today for 9 am.”

On Wednesday night, Dillon reported the incident to Marabella police. On Thursday, after being discharged, Constantine gave statements to the police.

Dillon wants the attacker to face the consequences of his actions.

“I want police to do what they have to do. I understand that this was not the first time the man had a confrontation with a student in the school,” he said.

Relatives said the man went into the school with a cutlass and accused some students of bullying his son.

Police said before the Constantine family made the report, the man had reported that students had attacked him at the school. He also said other students had been bullying his son. At that time, he did not mention anything connected with the assault on Constantine.