Call for Cape York school to be closed after assault of students

A former mayor and father of a student enrolled at a troubled remote Queensland school is calling for it to be closed after a pupil was so badly bashed others thought she was dead.

The community of Bamaga at the tip of Cape York, Far North Queensland. Picture: Brendan Radke

A former mayor and father of a student enrolled at a troubled remote Queensland school is calling for it to be closed after a pupil was so badly bashed others thought she was dead.

Two students aged 17 and 16 were injured in the schoolyard brawl at a Cape York school that cannot be named for legal reasons last Thursday, March 13.

Disturbing video of the incident shows a fight between two girls which escalated into a wild melee.

It’s alleged one attacker hit a girl in the head with a rock held in her hand.

Bernard Charlie is the former Northern Peninsula Area mayor and current chair of traditional owner group the Gudang/Yadhaykenu Aboriginal Corporation.

Former Northern Peninsula Area mayor Bernard Charlie.

The Northern Peninsula Area leader said his daughter was a pupil currently enrolled at the school and had also been the victim of assault.

“It would be much better to see our kids in a better environment and getting a better education, they deserve a better future,” he said.

“As a leader of the community I can see that the education policy and processes not only have failed the victims, they fail the perpetrator.

“They need to do an audit to see how much funding they get, (investigate) the graduation (rate) and NAPLAN results.

A student was injured in a brawl on school grounds recently. Picture: Supplied

“For the best interests of the NPA this school has to be shut, if you shut the school it would be a better outcome.”

Previously, family of the injured girls claimed the school had failed in their duty of care and those responsible needed to be held accountable.

On Wednesday it was revealed four teenagers have been charged following last week’s incident.

Those charged include a 16-year-old Bamaga girl, a 16-year-old Injinoo girl, a 15-year-old girl, and another 16-year-old girl from Bamaga were each charged with two counts of assaults occasioning bodily harm.

Two girls will appear in the Bamaga Children’s Court on April 8 and two have been dealt with under the provisions of the Youth Justice Act.

Police are continuing to work with school staff, local council and parents as investigations continue into others involved.

Anyone with relevant vision or information is urged to come forward.

Police reported one girl injured in the alleged attack was taken to Bamaga Hospital for treatment.

Earlier this week in a letter to the Northern Peninsula Area community, the school’s principal addressed concerns of parents and caregivers and an upwelling of distress within the tight-knit towns of Injinoo, Umagico, Bamaga, New Mapoon, and Seisia.

“I want to reassure you that the safety and welfare of your children – our students – and our staff are the highest priority at all times,” she wrote.

“Department of Education staff will be onsite this week to undertake a full review of matters in regard to the incident which occurred last week.

A student was injured in a brawl on school grounds recently. Picture: Supplied

“The Department of Education is committing to additional support to the college in the coming weeks to enhance the wellbeing and safety of both students and staff.”

In response to the letter being posted to social media there was an outpouring of anger from residents, many of whom backed Mr Charlie’s – and family of the injured girl’s – push to have the school shut down in favour of sending students to southern boarding schools.

“These are our future leaders, we want boarding school for all of our kids and the school is restricting the community’s growth,” Mr Charlie said.

In response to community concerns the Department of Education stated there was “no plan” to close the school.

“The regional office is continuing to work with the broader school community in relation to the matters that have been raised,” a spokesman said.

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Originally published as Call for Cape York school to be closed after assault of students