Bashed school girl 'bled from ears'

The girl was attacked as she walked home alone from Wanganui Girls' College. Photo / Wanganui Chronicle

A Wanganui schoolgirl has spoken of a terrifying assault that she says left her unconscious and bleeding from her ears.

In the wake of the attack, the girl's mother now wants something to be done about the problem of bullying in schools.

The 15-year-old and her mother, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, spoke to the Wanganui Chronicle about the assault on the girl at the hands of one of her classmates.

The girl says she was punched, stomped and kicked as she walked home alone from Wanganui Girls' College on March 8.

She says the assault left her unconscious, with blood coming from her ears, a swollen jaw and skull, grazes on her legs and bruised hips.

She was taken to hospital for treatment.

The girl has been the target of bullying before but never anything so severe.

Her recall of the assault is hazy, although her last memory is of five or six girls approaching her. She says one of the group filmed the assault.

The girl said the incident began earlier in the day, when the girl who later allegedly assaulted her told her "someone from [Wanganui High School] was going to stab me".

"I got concerned, so I told my teacher and we went to the deputy principal and told her."

The girl said the deputy principal talked to both girls separately.

Later that afternoon, the girl says, she was set upon after school.

Her mother was alerted to the assault by a neighbour.

She went out to find her daughter lying beaten and unconscious on the grass.

Fighting back tears, the mother said it was "the most horrible thing ever" to see her daughter in such a state.

Police are investigating the incident and the Wanganui Girls' College Board of Trustees was to meet this week to discuss how to deal with the girl who allegedly started the assault.

The victim's mother said she was happy with how the school had dealt with the incident.

But she said she wished parents, schools and the Government would do more to stop bullying.

"[Schools] can only punish [students who bully] with expelling them and to me that's not enough.

"These kids know they won't get arrested because they're too young. That's why they do it."

The woman said parents also had some responsibility for their children's behaviour.

She described the attitude of the parents of the alleged attacker as "very disappointing".

"If my daughter was the one doing the bullying, I'd put a stop to it. I'd see it as my responsibility too."

Two weeks after the assault, the girl still suffers from headaches, is scared and lies awake at night.

"I keep getting flashbacks and I can't really sleep," she said.

Wanganui Girls' College is setting her schoolwork to do at home.