'My son doesn't feel safe there' - mother of boy assaulted at south Auckland school
Last week a 16-year old boy was badly bullied at a South Auckland high school. He was was rushed to Middlemore Hospital after he was tripped and punched during interval.
WARNING: Photos lower down in the story may upset some readers.
A16-year old boy hospitalised following an assault at Auckland's James Cook High School won't return to school until he learns the fate of his attackers.
Mantel Dickson says her son, who Stuff has chosen not to name, returned to the south Auckland school the day after the assault but had since decided not to go back as he did not feel safe.
James Cook High School is committed to supporting the bullied boy.
The assault took place on May 28 during morning interval. The teen was tripped and punched by two other boys. Dickson described the main hit as being from behind her son, so he did not see it coming. He was knocked to the ground, hit his head on concrete, breaking teeth and blacking out.
He was rushed to Middlemore Hospital in what was initially described by a St John spokeswoman as a "critical condition" but was discharged later that evening.
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Police at James Cook High School on the day of the attack.
The teen has lost one tooth and chipped others.
On the night of the assault, Dickson said school Principal Grant McMillan visited the family home to see how the teen was doing. Dickson said she felt the school had not kept in touch enough with her family since then.
"I haven't heard anything back [from the school], nobody has contacted me. We've had no contact from police, no apologies from the boys involved, we don't know what's happening or whether they'll be allowed to come back to the school."
The boy lost a tooth and has chipped teeth. This is a week after the incident.
McMillan said he was "surprised and disappointed" the family felt that way and would meet with them again.
He said the school had made decisions around the future of the two attackers but had not been able to publicly state what was happening yet because they were obliged to inform their families first - which they had been unable to do yet.
However, it has previously been reported that one of the boys responsible for the attack had been suspended from the school while another had been stood down.
McMillan said he had told the family to take its time before the teen victim returned to school. The school had been supporting and monitoring the teen.
Dickson said when she found out about the assault she was angry and didn't understand why this had happened to her son.
"All he remembers was having a confrontation with another kid and this bigger boy attacked him from behind and he lost consciousness - he's a bit blank on everything because of that. Nothing like this has ever happened to him before, it was a random attack and I just don't know why they did this to him."
Dickson said she was told by the school this was the worst assault they'd ever had but she said bullying had always been a big problem at James Cook.
"There's just too much bullying going on - I went to James Cook myself years ago and it was like that then and it wasn't stopped and it still hasn't been stopped now."
Dickson worried that those involved may be allowed to come back to the school.
"I'd be mad if those kids were allowed back because my son doesn't feel safe with them there."
Her son went back to James Cook the day after the incident but has not attended since.
"I don't know how my son's going to feel going back - but I know he'll be alright because he's a strong boy, he's not going to hide away because of this."
The boy who was suspended from the school appeared before the Board of Trustees on Thursday evening to decide whether he will be allowed to return to the school.
- Stuff
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