Boy, 10, stabbed over footy tackle

Teachers at Jean Batten School say they have not been officially told of the stabbing. Photo / Natalie Slade

A 10-year-old South Auckland schoolboy was stabbed by a younger child over a lunchtime game of touch rugby.

The Herald has learned the boy was stabbed with a weapon, believed to be a small kitchen knife, behind a classroom at Jean Batten Primary School in Mangere.

Police believe both boys are aged 10 - but sources said the victim was in Year 6 and his attacker in Year 4.

A source close to the school said the stabbing "left blood everywhere".

The source also told the Herald that the day after the stabbing, a young relative of the attacker went to the school and assaulted another child.

It is understood the stabbing happened at the end of the school lunch hour last Wednesday.

The attacker did not like the way the 10-year-old had tackled him during a game of touch football.

Counties Manukau police spokeswoman Natalie Swart said the 10-year-old was taken to Middlemore Hospital and needed three stitches, though his wounds were superficial.

"The offender was suspended from the school," she said. "The police child protection team is investigating and has conducted preliminary interviews."

Child, Youth and Family staff were also involved, but neither of the boys was in the agency's care as a result of the incident.

It is understood the stabber's family are new to the Mangere area.

Jean Batten School principal Jeff Bruce refused last night to discuss the incident.

"The only comment I'm making is that the school feels it would be very unhelpful to sensationalise the incident.

"It's an incident that has been upsetting for everybody involved - the victim and the child's family that's been involved in it," he said.

"The incident has been effectively handled by appropriate agencies."

Sources close to the school said teachers had not been briefed on what happened.

One, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being "lynched" by the school for speaking, said staff had been "told nothing".

"I only found out through gossip and what the children are saying. It has been kept quiet."

The source said that because of fights that had broken out previously, Jean Batten pupils are banned from playing rugby at school unless a teacher is supervising.

"Some of the children are very high powered and tempers can flare very quickly. The kids can get rough and then the fights start.

"I've seen fights, but I certainly haven't seen someone pull a knife on another student. This is a Year 4, which is even more shocking."

Another source said: "It hasn't even been discussed. It probably will this week at the staff meeting, and at an assembly with the kids."

But Mr Bruce said the matter would not be discussed at any meeting or assembly.

"It has been effectively handled by the appropriate agencies. We're not trying to sensationalise it at all.

"I have made my comment. We're working on the situation, and we're dealing with it with the correct advice."

In 2007, a Jean Batten teacher spoke out about violence at the decile 1 school.

She told the NZ Educational Institute annual meeting in Wellington of being punched, struck by objects thrown at her and having to restrain children attacking other pupils in her classroom.

But in June this year, the Education Review Office gave a positive report on the way the school was operating.