Bullying and harassment in schools is an epidemic. In June 2021, Ofsted published a damning review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, stating that “for some children, incidents are so commonplace that they see no point in reporting them”.
According to Ofsted study, nearly 90 percent of schoolgirls and 50 per cent of schoolboys reported some form of online sexual abuse and harassment. The Ofsted report noted that the problem was so severe, that even where schools may not have evidence that there is an online sexual abuse and harassment problem for their pupils, “leaders should take a whole school/college approach to developing a culture where all kinds of sexual harassment and online sexual abuse are recognised and addressed”.
What happens to this 12-year-old rape victim is just one of the many examples of bullying and harassment in schools.
The grieving mother slammed police after her daughter who alleged she was raped was discouraged from bringing forward a complaint against the accused perpetrator.
Her mother, Rachel Halliwell, contacted the police after Semina broke down and told her what had happened following a severe incident of self-harm.
Semina Halliwell was just 12 years old when she took her own life last summer.
The Merseyside schoolgirl had spent months leading up to her death subject to a relentless campaign of bullying and harassment from her peers after she had reported to the police that another student had raped her.
More details from the Daily Mail report:
The Year 7 pupil, who had autism, broke down when informing her mother Rachel of the horrific ordeal following a self-harm incident.
However, family members have claimed she was told by detectives she would not ‘want this thing hanging over her head’ as her case ‘wouldn’t go to court for 18 months to two years’.
Rachel has since shared the last picture of Semina taken four days before she passed away as she sat propped up in a hospital bed with bruising and cuts around her face.
The family says Semina was ‘made to feel like she was an inconvenience’ to Merseyside Police and no charges were brought against the alleged offender – whom she had named.
Semina’s mother and aunt, Clare, said the lead detective investigating her allegations instead ‘sat there and started talking about all the forms he’d have to fill in if she made the complaint’ and the length of time it would take him.
Despite their horrific loss, the family claims they were not left in peace to grieve, but instead subjected to a brutal campaign of harassment.
Clare and Rachel claim brutal videos of attacks Semina endured were directed at the family on social media following the funeral, as were messages celebrating her death.
Similar to the rape allegations, the family alleges police failed to properly investigate these instances of harassment.
Clare said: “We’ve been robbed of a massive piece of our family, and for the last nine and a half months we’ve been robbed of the ability to grieve that loss.”
Continue reading here: DailyMail
