A mum has described how she found out her son had been badly injured in an alleged assault at school - from another parent. Erin George, from Pontardawe, was out shopping when she had a call from a friend, whose child attends Cwmtawe Community School with her son, and was told he had been hurt in an incident.
Ms George said she immediately rushed to the school, and was told her 13-year-old son was with the school nurse receiving treatment. Her son, Rio, then told her how another student had allegedly "grabbed" his backpack and pulled him down the stairs backwards while he was on his way to his English lesson last Wednesday, October 12. For more stories about schools in Wales, go here.
She asked him if he had done anything to warrant such a reaction - or if the dragging was meant to be playful - but her son claimed he "hadn't done anything". She said the school had viewed CCTV of the incident and a member of staff had told her the incident was allegedly "unprovoked". You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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"My son is 13, he's in Year 9 at Cwmtawe School. Last Wednesday, he was walking to his English lesson, the lesson before lunch-time, he was walking up the stairs," said Ms George. She said it was alleged that "[another student] came up behind him and grabbed his backpack and pulled him down the stairs. I had to take him to A&E and he's got a broken ankle.
"I asked him what he had done and he said 'mum, I haven't done anything'," she added. "There's a platform on the stairs, he was near the top of the stairs, so he was pulled down quite a few to the platform - if that hadn't been there he would have gone from top to bottom. He's got a broken ankle, he's in a cast."
Ms George said she was disappointed she had not been informed of the incident first by the school when it happened.
"I was walking to meet my daughter in town and I had a call from another parent. He asked me how Rio was after his fall down the stairs. I thought it was a joke as I hadn't heard anything about a fall - but he [the parent] said he was being serious and that he'd heard from his daughter at the school that Rio was injured and wanted to check he was okay."
She continued: "I went straight to the school and Rio was in with the nurse, I took him to A&E that afternoon. We thought [the student who allegedly pushed Rio down the stairs] would be excluded, but they were only off for two and a half days and then came back."
She said Rio was unable to return to school at the moment while he recovered from his injuries and had asked her if he could change schools, for fear of further incidents. She said he was also disappointed to have to miss out on activities with the Air Cadets. "Rio has asked to move school, all the incidents that have previously happened and now this: he said he's just had enough! And to have the pupil back in school two days after it happened, is the tip of the iceberg!" Ms George explained.
"And we've had to cancel some of his Air Cadet activities - he was supposed to fly a plane and get his wings badge [but obviously can't fly with a broken ankle]. That's what he's gutted about the most - he loves his Air Cadets, he wants to be a pilot in the RAF! And he couldn't do the Drill and Banner Competition, but he did attend and watch, and he couldn't do the Half Time Parade at the Ospreys match, but he did attend and watch."
A spokesperson for Cwmtawe Community School said: "We are unable to comment on individual incidents involving our pupils. However, the school has a robust anti-bullying policy in place and appropriate action is always taken."
Ms George said the matter was reported to police the day after the incident. A spokesperson for South Wales Police confirmed: "South Wales Police was called just before 10.30am on Thursday, October 13, following reports of an alleged assault on a 13-year-old boy at a school in Pontardawe. Enquiries are continuing to ascertain the full circumstances behind the incident."
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