kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
One day after being expelled, a teenage student of the Williamsville Secondary School has been formally slapped with two charges following the stabbing of a schoolmate on Monday.
WPC Blackman of the Southern Division yesterday read charges of wounding with intent to cause grevious bodily harm and possession of a weapon to the student at the Princes Town Police Station.
The student is will appear virtually before a magistrate soon to answer the charges.
The 15-year-old schoolgirl was arrested for a knife attack on her schoolmate at the Williamsville Junction on Monday.
The Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday that the student was being expelled from the school for the attack.
Public Information Officer for the Police Service, ASP Sheridon Hill, confirmed that the suspect was at the Juvenile Booking Centre at the Oropouche Police Station yesterday.
Hill said the investigating team of officers had to follow several procedures before laying the charges.
Meanwhile, doctors at the San Fernando General Hospital discharged the 15-year-old victim from the hospital yesterday.
The student spent three days getting treatment for stab wounds on her face, chest and arms.
The fight between the Form Two students outside the school occurred around 2.35 pm on Monday.
Video footage from a student’s phone showed a fight involving several students. Another showed blood dripping from the victim’s face.
The Ministry of Education said it chose to expel the suspect based on the heinous nature of the action.
The Concerned Parents Movement (CPMTT) says police should investigate all sides of the fight. There were varying reports of an ongoing rift between both students and different claims on who was the aggressor.
CPMTT president Clarence Mendoza said investigators need to question whether the armed student brought the knife for protection or it was premeditated, or whether a schoolmate handed her the weapon during the fight as stated.
“We are of the view that there are two sides to the story and then that of the pairs. There should be an investigation of all sides,” Mendoza said.
CPMTT believes that in dealing with school indiscipline, there should be no expulsion of students. Mendoza said there should be rehabilitation instead.
The CPMTT’s solution to indiscipline among secondary school students includes sending them to a designated boot camp for 30 days for a first offence with one visit from relatives.
A second offence carries a lock-up for 90 days with no visitors. Additional offences or habitual offenders should go to a specially-designed boot camp that emphasises on mental health issues.
It should include counselling, anger management and technical vocational training.
After this, the students must undergo reintegration programmes to return to society.
The CPMTT says these booth camps should fall under the Ministry of Education in partnership with the Ministry of National Security.