‘I was ambushed and humiliated’: Scots College boy’s letter reveals how he was lured, restrained and humiliated
A 17-year-old Scots College student has detailed in a heartbreaking letter how he was lured to a gathering, ambushed and humiliated.
A 17-year-old Scots College student at the centre of a disturbing incident filmed at Woollahra Golf Course has revealed the emotional toll of the attack, saying he was lured to the gathering after believing, for the first time, he was being included by his peers.
In a letter sent to 2GB, the teenager said he joined a Snapchat group and accepted an invitation to a weekend gathering because he thought it was a genuine chance to make friends.
“When I was invited to a Snapchat group and a school gathering over the weekend, I thought I was finally being included,” he wrote.
“One kid even told me I had to go or I’d be kicked out of a program that I was part of.”
He said the invitation was never what it seemed.
“But that inclusion was a trap. I was ambushed, physically restrained and humiliated,” he said.
“The most terrifying part was how I was lured there, thinking I was going to have some fun and finally have some friends at school.”
The student said the bullying he has endured extends beyond the incident, describing “awful messages online” that left him feeling isolated.
“I’ve received awful messages online that made me feel alone and attacked. I’m honestly surprised that it hasn’t led to more tragedies. Students feel alone, unsafe and unheard,” he wrote.
He urged other students going through similar experiences to seek help.
“My message to anyone in a similar situation is simple, speak up before it’s too late.”
The letter follows the emergence of multiple videos showing Scots College students forcing younger boys to drink beer and marching one teenager through a “human tunnel” while throwing beer over him.
The gathering, known among some boys as the “Bob Awards”, short for Boys On Beers, has been held on Australia Day and again at the end of the school year.
The Daily Telegraph has previously revealed police are investigating the incident and have visited the elite Bellevue Hill school.
Scots College principal Dr Ian Lambert addressed the matter in a message to staff and parents, saying the behaviour shown in the videos “stands in direct opposition” to the school’s values and that the boys’ conduct has left him “disappointed and disgusted”.
“Our first priority has been the wellbeing and privacy of the student and his family. They have shown great courage in coming forward, and we commend them for their action,” he said.
Dr Lambert said it did not matter that the gathering happened off campus or outside school hours.
“These boys were under the supervision of their parents, and I question why they were permitted to gather in such a way with large amounts of alcohol present and being consumed by boys under the age of 18,” he wrote.
“Behaviour of this nature is never tolerated at Scots, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”
He said the school has launched its own investigation alongside the police probe and is reviewing all footage and evidence available.
“Consequences will follow for the students involved. Possible consequences will include expulsion,” he said.
“Those involved have let themselves, their families and the college down.” Dr Lambert urged parents to speak with their sons if they know they were involved and encouraged students to self-report.
“Integrity is an important quality of a Scots boy,” he said.
“Those involved now have the responsibility to demonstrate it.”
Police investigations are continuing.
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Originally published as ‘I was ambushed and humiliated’: Scots College boy’s letter reveals how he was lured, restrained and humiliated
