Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
‘I do not condone what my girl did’
A MOTHER whose daughter was filmed taking part in an attack on a fellow schoolgirl has come forward in a bid to end the “culture of bullying” at the school.
Darlene Hendrie, 34, said she was prepared to admit that her daughter had been involved in the bullying of Chloe Curran at Craigie High School last week.
However, she said that what had happened was part of a much bigger problem at the school and she had decided to speak out in a bid to get the issue dealt with.
The Tele reported last week on shocking footage showing a terrifying attack on Chloe 14, by a group of fellow third-year pupils.
Chloe’s mum Ash Mullen said that her daughter had been left traumatised by the attack.
She also called on Craigie High and Dundee City Council to enforce a zero tolerance policy on bullying at every school in the city.
Ash said: “I think there should be a no bullying policy put in place for every school to stop this happening again.”
And Darlene, from Kirkton, backed Ash’s position, saying: “I too am calling for action to be taken to stop the culture of bullying that is taking place at Craigie High.
“Unfortunately my daughter, Demi, was one of the girls who took part in the bullying of Chloe.
“I absolutely do not condone what happened and my daughter’s part in it.
“However, I want to explain what is going on in the school that led to this.
“Demi, too, is a victim of bullying. It is rife at the school and has now got out of hand.
“Demi has been bullied and the bully- ing is leading to pupils taking part in bullying others.
“I will not be sending Demi back to school until something is done to stop this.
“I agree with everything that Chloe’s mum has said and I back her call for zero tolerance on bullying at city schools.
“I hope that by both of us highlighting the issue that the city council listens to what we are saying and actually does something about it before it gets worse.
“Demi recently received a black eye from another pupil and, like Chloe, she is too scared to leave the house.
Ash said she appreciated Darlene having the courage to admit her daughter’s role in the bullying.
She said: “If she and I can work together to end this bullying I would be more than happy to do that.”
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “Appropriate action is always taken in response to bullying incidents in schools and any allegations are dealt with seriously.
“Families are always closely involved in the process. Parents who have concerns about their children should contact the school directly to discuss them.”