Teacher, student stabbed at Townsville school
A student who allegedly stabbed a teacher and a classmate in a school fight was tasered by police earlier this year for threatening officers with a cricket bat.
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UPDATE:
A STUDENT who allegedly stabbed a teacher and a classmate in a school fight was tasered by police earlier this year for threatening officers with a cricket bat.
The 16-year-old girl allegedly pulled a kitchen knife on a fellow female student, 16, of a Townsville school and when a teacher tried to break up the classroom fight, she was stabbed in the arm.
The student was slashed on the back.
The student was questioned by Townsville Child Protection and Investigation Unit detectives but was released on Wednesday afternoon.
They are still investigating.
Sources told the Townsville Bulletin the 16-year-old girl is the same student who was tasered in February.
The girl, who has a physical disability, had allegedly been damaging school property and lunged at a police officer when they deployed their taser during the February incident.
Snr-Sgt Matt Lyons said it was too early to tell whether charges would be laid against the girl for Wednesday’s stabbing.
“There’s a few things we need to think about before progressing the charges in relation to this matter, and that’s something that the investigators will assess,” he said.
“(They will) assess the capacity of the child before anything is done. But rest assured, if offences are identified and can be prosecuted, I’m sure that the investigators will prefer charges.”
Snr-Sgt Lyons said it was an “unfortunate” incident.
“This was handled very professionally by the school. And support has been provided where … it’s essentially needed,” he said.
In a statement, a Department of Education spokesman said the school entered lockdown immediately.
“Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of students or others in the school
community is treated extremely seriously, and dealt with as a matter of priority,” the spokesman said.
“The Department has arranged for additional support services to be made available
immediately for parents, students and staff.
The 16-year-old girl’s mother questioned the actions of police when they tasered her daughter in February.
“She said that they tasered her twice, they had her handcuffed to the bed,” the mother said.
The mother learned what had happened after a child safety officer called to advise her daughter was in hospital with minor injuries.
BREAKING:
A teacher has been stabbed while trying to break up a fight between two young girls at a Townsville school.
The 16-year-old students were in a class at the school when the fight broke out and one of them pulled out a knife.
A teacher, believed to be in her 50s, tried the break up the fight and was stabbed.
She suffered some wounds to her arm and the student suffered minor injuries to her back.
District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Matt Lyons said it was not known whether the child brought the “small” knife into the school or whether it was school property.
He said the injured teacher grabbed the knife off the student and gave it to another teacher outside the classroom.
Snr-Sgt Lyons said it was too early to tell whether charges would be laid against the girl.
“There’s a few things we need to think about before progressing the charges in relation to this matter, and that’s something that the investigators will assess,” he said.
“(They will) assess the capacity of the child before anything is done. But rest assured, if offences are identified and can be prosecuted, I’m sure that the investigators will prefer charges.
“But if not, another course of action is taken.”
Snr-Sgt Lyons said the school did not go into lock down during the incident.
He said the incident was unfortunate.
“This was handled very professionally by the school. And support has been provided where … it’s essentially needed,” he said.
Parents were queuing up outside the locked gates of the front entrance about 2pm to wait to pick up their children.
The Townsville Bulletin spoke with multiple who had no idea what had happened.
Emergency services were called to the school at Mundingburra about 12.40pm.
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A woman was seen sitting with a child outside the school, with paramedics assessing them for injury.
The Bulletin understands a 16-year-old girl and a teacher have been taken to Townsville University Hospital after being treated by paramedics for superficial wounds.
A 16-year-old girl has been arrested, police said.
In a statement, a Department of Education spokesman said the school entered lockdown immediately.
“Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of students or others in the school community is treated extremely seriously, and dealt with as a matter of priority,” the spokesman said.
“The Department has arranged for additional support services to be made available
immediately for parents, students and staff.
“Ongoing counselling and support is available for all students and staff.
“The school and department will work closely with authorities as they investigate this incident.”
Originally published as Teacher, student stabbed at Townsville school