Staff foil schoolgirl murder plot to kill classmate with poison in drink bottle
A SHOCKING plan concocted by two schoolgirls to murder another student in Melbourne’s north by spiking a drink bottle with stolen poison was foiled by staff — and both girls escaped criminal charges.
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A SCHOOLGIRLS’ plot to murder a classmate with poison has been revealed in a dossier detailing horrific violence in Victoria’s schools.
According to documents released under Freedom of Information, two students stole chemicals from their school and planned to poison another pupil by spiking a drink bottle.
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Last March, the murder plot by two female students believed to have been in the early years of high school was foiled when staff found chemicals in the locker of one of the pupils.
A document shows the assistant principal reported on April 24 that the students planned to “put (the stolen chemicals) into the drink bottle ... with the intent to kill”.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said an incident at a northern suburbs school was investigated last March, but the target, also a female, did not proceed with a complaint.
It is understood that the school investigated, two pupils were suspended, and support for the intended victim was arranged. It is unclear whether the suspended pupils returned, or whether the target of the plot still attends the school.
The plot is among cases of shocking violence in Victoria’s public schools, with attacks on students rising by 36 per cent in a single year.
In 2017, 229 incidents involving weapons — including guns, knives, scissors, Tasers, screwdrivers, an axe, rocks, chairs and even pencils — were reported, 68 of them against school staff and 161 against students.
Reported incidents of assault and aggressive behaviour have included knives being held to throats of pupils and staff. Several students even reported being threatened with guns on school grounds.
The Herald Sun can reveal reported incidents at government schools in 2017 included:
ALMOST 50 threats with knives and scissors. There were five stabbings and six cases of weapons being held to the throats of staff and pupils.
TWO cases in which pupils said they were threatened with guns on school grounds. One involved an ex-pupil and the other a motorist whose vehicle was pelted with rocks.
AN axe being swung at staff who confiscated a butterfly knife from a student.
THE purchase of a fishing knife from Kmart by a pupil who then gave it to another pupil “for protection”.
THREATS being made on Facebook, leading a student to bring a screwdriver to school.
THE purchase of three knives during school hours by a pupil who then returned to school with them.
TASERS turning up at schools. In one case. someone was attacked.
A STABBING with a pencil by one pupil of another, after a fight over it.
More than 1500 incidents of assault and aggression against pupils were reported in public schools last year — 399 more than the year before. Of these, 204 involved police — almost one per school day.
From 2015 to 2017, violence against pupils rose 124 per cent. Attacks on teachers rose less than 1 per cent in a year. Police were called to fewer incidents against staff than the year before.
Education minister James Merlino would not comment on the issue of whether the students should have been expelled.
He said it was appropriate the students were suspended and police notified.
“Victoria Police conducted an investigation, that is what should have and that is what did happen.
“I don’t want to go into any details. We are talking about young students, both the victims and the perpetrators. I don’t think it is appropriate to go into any further detail.”
He put the spike in violence in schools statistics down to the government’s new reporting requirements.
Opposition education spokesman Tim Smith said the reports would “keep parents awake at night worrying about how unsafe our schools are becoming”.
“It is absolutely unacceptable that (Premier) Daniel Andrews is hiding this information. That’s why we need to get back to basics with school education, with a focus on literacy and numeracy and better discipline,” he said.
VIOLENCE IN VICTORIA’S SCHOOLS
AGAINST STAFF / 2015 / 2016 / 2017
Assault (police called)
35 / 47 / 30
Aggressive behaviour and assault (police not called)
126 / 287 / 307
TOTAL:
161 / 334 / 337
Involving weapons in 2017: 68
AGAINST STUDENTS / 2015 / 2016 / 2017
Assault (police called)
182 / 219 / 204
Aggressive behaviour and assault (police not called)
491 / 892 / 1306
TOTAL:
673 / 1111 / 1510
Involving weapons in 2017
161
*Department of Education and Training data obtained under Freedom of Information
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