UAE | Crime
Librarian assaulted by family members of 'reprimanded' pupil
A librarian who was beaten up by members of a Grade 3 pupil's family said that it will take her a long time to psychologically recover from the incident.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:34 March 25, 2008
Dubai: A librarian who was beaten up by members of a Grade 3 pupil's family said that it will take her a long time to psychologically recover from the incident.
The pupil's mother, grandmother and domestic help burst into her classroom while she was teaching and assaulted her causing the teacher to faint.
The incident took place on March 10 at The Apple International School which caters to the British curriculum and is located in Al Ghusais.
Nita Maitra, the principal of the school confirmed the incident and said that she was shocked by what had happened and the effect it would have on the staff and the pupils who witnessed it.
A formal complaint has been filed with the police at Al Ghusais police station which is looking into the case.
Gulf News has a copy of the letter addressed to the Al Ghusais police station by the school as well as the medical report issued by Rashid Hospital where the librarian was being treated.
It all began when the school supervisor telephoned the parents of the Grade 3 pupil for a meeting to discuss a pupil's behaviour.
Speaking to Gulf News the librarian said: "My physical scars have healed but it will take a longer time for me to psychologically recover from the incident. This particular pupil was running around the library and I reprimanded him for that. He raised his hand at me. I reported the matter to the school supervisor who called the pupil and spoke to him. I thought it had ended there and carried on with my classes.
Fainted
"After a while when I was busy attending to Grade 6 pupils, the mother, the grandmother along with their domestic help of the pupil rushed into my class. In the beginning the domestic help tried to push and pull me around, and then the mother and the grandmother started to slap me on my cheek. They were also shouting at me at the same time. This happened in front of the Grade 6 pupils. I just fainted and the next thing that I remember was being carried on a stretcher and being taken to hospital," said the librarian.
She said that pupils who stood witness to the incident tried to cheer her up by hugging her.
'They kept asking me whether I was fine," said the librarian.
Principal Maitra said that she was made aware of the incident when she heard some pupils and staff shouting "Ma'am someone is beating the librarian."
"I rushed upstairs and found the librarian lying on the ground. I immediately called for a stretcher and asked that she be taken to the hospital. I then asked the family members of the pupil to come to my office so that we could discuss the issue. But they refused. The father showed up the next day and refused to believe that his child raised his hand at the teacher. The matter was then reported to Al Ghusais police station," she said.
Principal Maitra said that the particular pupil was temporarily suspended for a week and this was notified to the parents through a letter.
She added: "I understand that children should be given a chance and so the pupil was allowed to appear for his examinations."
Gulf News telephoned the pupil's parents several times but was unable to get a response.
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