The board of governors of a Dublin secondary school at the centre of a controversy over an alleged sexual assault on a pupil says it fully supports external investigations being carried out into the matter.
The Garda and child and family agency Tusla are investigating the alleged incident at King's Hospital boarding school, following a claim that a 13-year-old boy was sexually assaulted in a dormitory with a hockey stick by a group of other pupils.
There was a delay of several days in reporting the matter to the authorities.
In a statement, the King’s Hospital board of governors said it met on Saturday “for a full review of this very serious issue”.
“The care and wellbeing of all students and the wider school community is of paramount importance to the Board,” the board said. “The governors are committed to the due process and fully support the external investigations currently underway.
“In our role as governors, we will continue to actively monitor the situation and work closely with school management to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the children involved and all of the students in the school.”
The Irish Times has learned that as many as 15 pupils from the west Dublin crowded into a four-bedroom dormitory when the incident took place on the night of November 24th.
Bear-hugged
According to one of the eight boys suspended from the school since the alleged incident, the 13-year-old was bear-hugged onto a bed by one boy and had his pants taken down by another.
Subsequently, in an account given by the suspended boy, a hockey stick was taken out and three pupils separately touched the 13-year-old’s coccyx/tailbone with it before he was given a choice of having it inserted into his body or agreeing to fight another boy.
He chose to fight. Watches were removed and, as it was put, the two boys began grappling with one another. Soon they had their hands around each other’s necks. Another boy had a phone and he was told to film the fight. At least three others present took out their phones and began filming as well.
It is claimed that the hockey stick assaults were not filmed.
The fight fizzled out and the group dispersed, leaving the 13-year-old and the other three who slept there in the dormitory.
Phone policy
On the following Tuesday afternoon the school authorities ordered that the phones be handed in. By then eight of those who allegedly took part in the incident were suspended, one of whom has decided he is not be returning to King’s Hospital.
On September 13th, King’s Hospital headmaster John Rafter told the school’s parents’ association that “the new policy with regard to mobile phones for 1st- to 3rd-year boarders was to have them hand up their phones at night”.
The eight suspended pupils are expected to remain so until the investigations are completed. However, the 13-year-old alleged victim will remain on in school, with the agreement of his parents.