Year 5 child given death threat at Nerang State School, Gold Coast

An 11-year-old girl is terrified to go back to her Gold Coast school after she found a graphic, handwritten death threat addressed to her in her desk.

AN 11-year-old girl is terrified to go back to her Gold Coast school after she found a graphic, handwritten death threat in her desk.

Her mother, who declined to be named, claims the incident where her daughter was told to “die in a ditch” or commit suicide was simply “swept under the carpet” by Nerang State School last month.

She said her daughter, who is in Year 5, came into class in the morning of November 27 last year to find the note in her tidy tray.

The Gold Coast mother is devasated her daughter is having to go through this. Photo by Richard Gosling

The note read in part: “I hate you!!!!!! (sic) Dear (name withheld), you should go die in a ditch or comitt (sic) suicide. If unicorns were real & (sic) you did die in a ditch the unicorns could stomp on you.”

The note was accompanied by a picture of a car and a child lying on the ground, and a unicorn standing on top of a child in a ditch.

The bullied child’s mother claims the school failed to notify her of the incident, despite her daughter and a classmate approaching the teacher shortly after finding it.

The death threat given to the 11-year-old schoolgirl. Picture: supplied

“It’s just devastating,” the mother told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

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“She held it together until she got into the car. She didn’t cry at school.”

But her daughter was so upset she was scared to go back to school and had “lost faith” in the teachers.

The girl’s mother said she had received counselling, but still didn’t feel safe at school.

She was also considering removing her daughter from the school this year.

Child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said threats like these could be very harmful to the victim.

This Gold Coast mother, who does not want to be identified, says her 11yo daughter was given a handwritten death threat at Nerang State School. Photo by Richard Gosling

“We only have to look at what happened on January 4 to Dolly Everett,” he said.

“It’s also against the law (to make death threats), you can’t go around making them.

“I hope they catch the person responsible and hold them accountable.”

Dolly Everett was just 14 years old when she committed suicide as a result of being bullied.

Dr Carr-Gregg said apart from committing suicide, children exposed to death threats could suffer from depression, anxiety, could self-harm and have poor self esteem.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said bullying wasn’t tolerated in Queensland state schools, adding the school had “undertaken extensive investigations into the issue.”

“The Department of Education expects school principals to continue to be vigilant in investigating and addressing complaints of bullying,” he said.

“This may include referring relevant matters to the police when necessary.

“The principal also organised for a police officer to attend and speak to students about

bullying. The affected student has been provided assistance from the school’s guidance officer and chaplain in relation to this matter.

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“State schools make every effort to meet with concerned parents to address issues of bullying or harassment as they are reported. Principals, teachers and support staff work closely with the families to resolve their concerns at a school level as a matter of urgency.”

But despite attempts to find out who wrote the note, the school has so far been unable to determine who threatened the girl.

The mother said the school had interviewed some girls and boys in both Year 5 classes, but no one had owned up.

She said the school also conducted handwriting and spelling tests to see if they could match the writing to the note.

“I want this child to be punished,” she said.

“And to get some mental health help. For this to happen is just devastating. I just want people to know that bullying is so bad at the moment.

“There’s not enough education on the issue.”

In October, a report with 29 recommendations was released to the state government, including a push to use a community-wide approach and engage with young people to address bullying.

The Queensland government pledged $3.5m to implement the recommendations, with a public facing action plan to be released later this year.