‘Dangerous situation’: Parents allege 5yo daughter lured to car by older student at Adelaide Hills school

A family has removed their children from an Adelaide Hills school after an incident that left a five-year-old scared and is now the centre of a police investigation.

A family has removed their children from a Mount Barker school, accusing the institution of failing to provide a safe environment over an incident on school grounds that left their five-year-old daughter scared and police investigating.

The father of students at St Francis de Sales – a reception-to-year 12 school – told The Messenger his youngest reception-aged child was approached by a high school student last week, who attempted to lure his daughter into a carpark to “see a puppy dog in a car”.

St Francis de Sales College on Dutton Rd, Mt Barker, SA.

He said while his daughter declined the invitation, the lunchtime approach left his child scared of older students and untrusting of others.

The father, who The Messenger has chosen not to identify, said the incident rang alarm bells and was a “potentially dangerous” situation.

“What was the intention, who was in the carpark?” he said.

The father said he had no choice but to remove his two young children from St Francis de Sales, slamming the school’s response to the incident.

He said the school informed him it would not remove any students, instead offering mediation.

“The school wanted (our daughter) to meet with the older student so she would feel more comfortable if she saw him in the future … as a parent do I let her just trust that?” he said.

“They are hoping it goes away, a teenage boy made a silly statement – diminish it down to a prank – but now the onus is on me, as a parent, to make a decision, do I just let that occur.”

St Francis de Sales principal Gavin McGlaughlin confirmed “an inappropriate conversation occurred between a year 7 and reception student at the college”.

St Francis de Sales College on Dutton Rd, Mt Barker, SA.

“The matter was dealt with swiftly and proportionately, in accordance with the procedures that guide all three education sectors in South Australia, with contact to the families and consequences to students involved occurring within 24 hours,” he said.

Catholic Education SA and St Francis did not respond to questions surrounding the action taken or the consequences placed on any students, but Mr McGlaughlin said the incident was “proactively reported to the appropriate authorities”.

A spokesperson for Catholic Education SA said the school reported the matter to the police who “advised that the matter did not need to be reported”.

“It is our understanding that there is no ongoing investigation,” the spokesperson said.

However, SAPOL confirmed the matter was the centre of an ongoing investigation.

Mr McGlaughlin said he was aware the situation was being discussed on social media but “facts were being misrepresented”.

“I respect and commend the integrity of those families who have contacted the college to hear the facts,” he said.

“All parents spoken to have supported the college in its response and valued having such misinformation corrected.”