Mother’s horror as primary school boys ‘threaten to rape’ 10-year-old daughter

The girl’s mother has criticised the school’s response and says she felt as if her daughter was being punished for reporting the disturbing situation.

A western suburbs mother has told of the horrific abuse her 10-year-old daughter suffered at the hands of primary school students who beat her up and threatened to “rape” her if she did not provide them explicit photos of herself.

Police attended the school following the incident with SAPOL confirming three of the boys were officially cautioned.

The mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her minor child, said her daughter was asked by five classmates, boys aged between 10 and 11, to expose her “private parts” on a Discord app forum earlier this year.

She said the boys told her daughter if she didn’t obey them they would “rape her”.

“They said everyday you don’t show us we will punish you,” the mother said.

“Every time she goes to school, she bursts into tears.”

The girl, who attends a public primary school west of the city, is currently in year 5 but shares a mixed class with year 6 – the year level of the boys. The following Monday after the girl refused to send explicit photos of herself the boys told her to “come with us”.

“They (took) her to a secluded location at the school grounds where the yard duty teacher couldn’t see,” the mother said. “Three of the boys would hold her down in the rape position and *** was going close to her as if he was going to rape her but instead he started beating her up.”

Seen from behind trendy pupil in white sweatshirt with backpack crossing crosswalk and going to school outdoors in the city.

This behaviour continued for five days. When she returned home with bruises she told her mum she was “clumsy”.

The mother reported the incident to the police following the initial report to the school on February 20. She said the girl now had flashbacks and nightmares of her abuse and suffered post traumatic stress disorder.

One of the classmates in the online chat told the girl to speak to the principal and came with her to do so.

The day after, the “main boy” was suspended for five days and the remainder of the boys given one detention each.

“I wasn’t happy with the way the school dealt with it,” she said. “ ... The other boys were in class still and every time they saw her, they would make little remarks and bump her shoulder.”

The “main boy” also continued to cyber bully the girl while suspended, messaging her online saying “we hate your guts” and “we’re going to punish you for this”, she said.

The mother said the school suggested the girl move classes and play in the yard in the younger students section as well as including another yard teacher supervisor.

“It felt like my daughter was being punished,” the mother said.

“She said, ‘Mum, I don’t want to change classes … it’s embarrassing.”

On March 10 the primary school’s deputy principal pulled the girl out of class to ask her about the police investigation, the mother said.

In that meeting she was asked to agree to stay in her class with the boys who abused her and if she “ever felt uncomfortable” she could work in the “flexible learning area”. The mother said the girl felt “pressured and vulnerable” and agreed. The girl has still not returned to school.

The school’s deputy principal said the primary school was aware of the situation but would not comment.

An Education Department spokesperson said the school has taken “strong action” including suspension, SAPOL involvement and incorporating safety plans.

“Support at the school has included working on a safety plan from early March, extra staff during yard duty, options for counselling, the offer to move to other classes and extra time in the wellbeing room - all of which will continue for as long as needed,” he said. “The primary concern is, and will always be, the wellbeing of students.”