ANOTHER SCHOOLBOY was taken into police custody yesterday morning, following the stabbing of a colleague at the Papine High School, St. Andrew, Tuesday afternoon.
It's reported that the 16-year-old Grade 10 student, who was accused of stabbing a 15-year-old classmate, was accompanied by his mother to the Papine Police Station, where he was in custody up to late yesterday evening.
"He is not formally charged as yet as the police are awaiting a statement from the victim," Woman Corporal Suzette Wright of the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) told The Gleaner yesterday.
The incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. while two students were sweeping and re-arranging chairs in one of the classrooms. A third boy who was in the classroom and sitting on a desk, was asked to move so that that area could be swept clean.
It is alleged that the third boy refused to get off the desk. One of the two who were cleaning the classroom, pushed away the desk while the student was still sitting on it. The boy who was on the desk retaliated by pushing one of the others in the chest. A pair of scissors was then used to stab the 15-year-old.
"The doctors said there was no serious internal damage, but they were keeping him for two days, just for observation," said vice-principal, Leighton Christie. He said the school board will have to meet to determine what action is to taken against the accused student.
This is the sixth case of wounding reported over the past two weeks at four high schools in the Corporate Area and Westmoreland.
Two weeks ago, rival teenage gangs clashed at Frome Technical in Westmoreland, resulting in one student being seriously wounded and 10 others expelled.
Another student at the Frome Technical High School in Westmoreland was arrested on Tuesday after he pulled a knife on a female student during an altercation.
The Frome Police apprehended the 15-year-old boy and charged him with being in possession of an offensive weapon. He was later released on station bail in the sum of $5,000 with surety. He is booked to appear before the Westmoreland Juvenile Court on May 29.
Sergeant Alva Douglas, the parish's Constabulary Communication Network officer, said information is that about 11 a.m. the students had an altercation and the boy allegedly pulled a ratchet knife threatening the girl.
Teachers and students tried unsuccessfully to take the weapon from the boy and the police were called in.
And as schools close for the Labour Day mid-term holiday yesterday, officials at the Clan Carthy High School along Deanery Road, St. Andrew, remained tight-lipped about any disciplinary actions to be taken against a 16-year-old student, who stabbed a teacher with a knife several times at the school, during a fight there on Monday.
Principal Trevor Samuels, who teachers and other members of the school's administration say is the only one authorised to speak on the school's behalf, could not be reached for comment.
