STADIUM’S LITTLE TERRORS

SERIOUS TRUST ISSUES: Anti-terror security sweep for Catholic schoolgirls

MORE than 1000 Catholic schoolgirls will be subjected to rigorous security checks, having their schoolbags searched at a college celebration night at GMHBA Stadium. Sacred Heart College has sent text messages to parents warning of the checks, which are part of the stadium’s beefed-up security policy aimed at preventing terror attacks.

MORE than 1000 schoolgirls and their parents will be subjected to rigorous security checks at a college celebration night at GMHBA Stadium.

It is the first time the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust will enforce its beefed-up security policy — aimed at preventing terror attacks — at a school event.

Sacred Heart College issued text message alerts to parents yesterday warning security checks may impact those attending the school’s compulsory Maguire Celebration tonight.

Under the stadium’s security policy, officials will search bags for prohibited items such as weapons, laser pointers, open drink bottles and confetti.

Security wands will not be used on patrons. But outraged parents, who spoke to Geelong Advertiser under the condition of anonymity, said enforcing the checks on Year 7 girls was “over the top”.

The Maguire Celebration is held in the stadium each year and the school was recently told the checks were a requirement of the stadium’s new policy.

“The club advised it was a requirement of such major venues to ensure event security via bag checks,” a Sacred Heart spokeswoman said. She said text messages were sent as a courtesy to families who may not have been aware of the policy.

A Kardinia Park Stadium Trust spokesman said the policy had been updated early last year to improve security measures. The spokesman said the conditions of entry applied to all events at the stadium.

Sacred Heart’s Maguire Celebration is the only Geelong school event that takes place in the stadium and on the ground.

Patrons attending St Joseph’s College’s 2017 valedictory night and charity function were not bag checked because the events were held in function rooms, not on the ground.

The spokesman said bags were checked at all AFL, Big Bash League and A-League matches, the Carols by Candlelight, TAC Cup, GFL finals, VFL, Masters Games and Cats open training sessions.

Kardinia Park Stadium Trust’s publicly available conditions of entry state “all persons and their possessions will be subject to searches before entering the stadium and may be subject to search upon exit”.

The policy says anyone who refuses to comply with checks may be denied entry or asked to the leave stadium.