5 schoolgirls charged for assault on Holy Faith Convent student

FIVE schoolgirls, ages 14 to 18, have been formally charged for assaulting a Holy Faith Convent, Couva student outside the school on June 10.

Newsday understands the girls all attended different schools in the Couva area.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (South Central) Wayne Mystar said the charges were laid on June 25 after a thorough investigation conducted by WPC Boodoo of the Couva Police Station.

All five girls were charged with the offence of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mystar said the police service has a zero-tolerance stance on acts of violence, especially involving school-aged children, and continues to work with educational institutions, community leaders, and parents to promote peaceful conflict resolution.

The attack on the Holy Faith student was captured on video and posted to social media.

The Ministry of Education also launched an investigation which included suspending the accused. Speaking at a post-cabinet briefing days earlier, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said perpetrators of school violence will face the full brunt of the law.

“Going forward, we will treat every occurrence of assault or battery as an expellable offence in schools and an arrestable offence to put before the courts. I want parents and students to listen very carefully, if your child assaults or batters another child, they will be expelled and will face the full brunt of the law. They will be arrested.

“All acts of school violence must now be referred to the police for criminal prosecutions. Parents need to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour. If they can’t train them to properly behave in school, then let them stay home and then we will have to look for spaces to properly nurture them and counsel them.”