– teen suspect still in custody
– police seeking legal advice from DPP

THE 15-year-old Linden Foundation Secondary School (LFSS) student, who was last Thursday stabbed with a ‘Rambo’ knife by her schoolmate, remains warded at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC).

She, however, according to LHC’s Public Relations Officer Toshanna Allicock, has been recovering, though unable to do basic things for herself.
The teen survived a five-hour surgery to remove the knife which left her muscles, tendons, stomach, spleen and diaphragm damaged.

The schoolmate who allegedly stabbed her remains in police custody, while her younger sister, who was directly involved in the fight was released on bail. Commander of Region 10, Hugh Winter, related that on Monday the file will be delivered by hand to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for advice on whether charges should be laid. In preparing the file, the police took key evidence from the video footage that captured the entire incident.

The video showed the victim and the suspect’s younger sister engaged in a physical fight. During the fight, the teen suspect took a ‘Rambo’ knife from her bag and stabbed the victim in the lower back. The spectators, consisting of mostly students, then began to scatter as the victim, who was collapsing, sought assistance to go to the hospital.

The incident caused widespread condemnation on the increase of violence in schools and on Friday, Minister of Education Dr Nicolette Henry and a technical team from the ministry’s welfare unit, visited the school and engaged students and teachers. It was made clear that violent and undisciplined behaviour will be not condoned in any school setting and perpetrators of these acts will face the full penalty.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, a single parent of eight, told the media that she is hoping to receive justice for her daughter and even compensation, since the incident could have been avoided. “I need justice, I need compensation for the injury….I can’t take it anymore,” she said.

NGOs and public-spirited persons have come forward to give assistance to the distraught mother. The Ministry of Education is also providing counselling for students and teachers who witnessed the gruesome stabbing.