Bullying of girl now with police
Police are investigating the online bullying of a Wellington student with Down syndrome.
On Sunday morning, following the publication of a story about 15-year-old Wellington East Girls’ College student Holly Reed, the school sent an email to all parents and caregivers confirming police were involved.
A group of girls pretended to befriend Reed, then urged her to perform tasks such as flashing her breasts and licking the ground. They then filmed and shared the footage on Facebook and Snapchat with captions such as ‘‘slag’’ and ‘‘yummy’’.
Principal Sally Haughton said the school had been working with police from the early stages.
‘‘You may have seen a story in the Sunday-star Times today. I wouldn’t usually communicate during the weekend, but I think this matter requires some response.
‘‘We are involved in an investigation related to the taking and circulation of images of a Wellington East Girls’ College student on social media.
‘‘I cannot discuss the details of the investigation for privacy reasons. We have taken this situation very seriously and have been working with the police from the early stages.’’
She said the school had ‘‘processes to support the investigation that are robust and fair’’.
Haughton commended the actions of the students who brought the bullying to the school’s attention, and encouraged parents and caregivers to get in touch with her directly if they wanted to discuss the matter.
A source who has children at the school said the email was the first communication they had received about the bullying, and it came as ‘‘a big shock’’.
A police spokesperson said they would not be able to respond to a request which sought to establish whether individuals have been under investigation.
‘‘We can’t confirm if a complaint has been made as a complainant has the right to privacy, and we can’t confirm whether an incident is being investigated for the same reason.’’
Public reaction
Meanwhile, news of the bullying prompted New Zealand’s Disability Rights Commissioner Paula Tesoriero to put out a statement on Sunday.
‘‘Disabled New Zealanders like Holly should be able to go about their lives without being bullied or harassed.
‘‘What happened to her is totally unacceptable and not OK. We need to challenge the kinds of negative attitudes that some people have towards disability so this will form a large part of our upcoming work. Treating New Zealanders with respect should be business as usual.’’
IHC director of advocacy Trish Grant said she was ‘‘horrified’’ to hear of the bullying, and the organisation had made an offer to help with the school’s restorative process.
‘‘We acknowledge that the school is working through a process – but reports that only one student has admitted they have done something wrong and that a parent may have laughed during a restorative meeting shows there is a long way to go.
‘‘IHC has offered assistance to ensure all students’ basic rights to dignity are met. This student deserves a full investigation and for there to be full responsibility taken by each of the girls. She also deserves a genuine apology from each person involved.’’