(Trinidad Guardian) The video is shocking.
A class of students from the Signal Hill Secondary School in Tobago brutally attacking one female student.
While the time and date are unknown, the viral video, which surfaced yesterday, captured the beating for two minutes and forty seconds.
It showed over 20 students taking turns—and at times together—kicking, slapping, choking and pushing the student from all directions. One student even climbed on a desk to kick the victim in the head from above.
Most of the attackers involved were female students, but the footage later showed a few male attackers. While some cheered on, others threw bottles and other objects, hitting the student in the head and face.
Just over a minute into the video, the attackers stopped to scream expletives at her while a group mocked and laughed at her as they surrounded and cornered her.
Throughout the ordeal, the child, who attempted to fight back at times, blocked and covered her face and stomach from the blows. She then hid under a desk as the beating continued from above.
Contacted for a response yesterday, Secretary of Education, Research and Technology (DERTech), Zorisha Hackett said she saw the video for the first time when Guardian Media forwarded it to her.
As such, she could not comment at the moment.
But in a statement released on Facebook just after 6.30 pm, she said she was disappointed and deeply concerned.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, Hackett called for a thorough and comprehensive investigation, involving collaboration between DERTech staff, the school’s principal, staff, parents, the Parent-Teacher Association, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders.
Hackett stated, “The actions portrayed in this video are not only disturbing, but stand in direct contradiction to the principles of safety, respect, and inclusion that our educational institutions should embody.”
She again condemned the incident and all acts of violence and emphasised the need for schools to be places of learning, growth, and understanding.
She said the aim is to ensure that all those responsible for the assault are held accountable for their actions.
She said immediate action will also be taken to address this specific incident and prevent future occurrences of violence within schools.
Hackett stressed the importance of understanding the psychological factors contributing to such behaviours and actions. She said the division will do all in its power to foster school environments built upon empathy, tolerance, and peaceful conflict resolution.
