Student torture: No broken bones, no case
First grader brutally beaten for forgetting to bring her slate to class.
BAHAWALPUR:
A primary school teacher tortured a first grade student because she forgot to bring her slate to class on Wednesday.
According to local residents, Qaimpur resident Shakeela, 6, is a student of class-1 at the Government Girls Primary School Chah Dipay Wala.
On Wednesday, her teacher Amina used a stick to thrash the girl in front of her class mates after she forgot to bring her slate to class. Shakeela lost the use of her arm after it was dislocated and was severely beaten.
Doctors reset the arm after several hours and have filed a medical certificate confirming torture. Shakeela’s father Allah Ditta told The Express Tribune that he could not afford to send his daughter to a private school but that the attitude of the teachers was often violent.
Allah Datta and dozens of other villagers protested against the incident outside the Qaimpur Police station.
“The police said that this wasn’t a serious matter and because my daughter regained use of her arm after several hours that they wouldn’t register the case,” Allah Datta said.
“No bones were broken and the child was only bruised. We cannot register a case for that, this is routine,” Inspector Javed said. The Assistant Education Officer Ms Afshan, however, took the notice of the issue and visited the school. “The teacher in question has been suspended and we have launched an inquiry into the incident,” she said.
The victim’s family said that the teacher’s husband was also a government teacher and a landlord in the area. “He is trying to influence the inquiry by exerting pressure on us and has threatened us to take back the complaint,” Allah Datta said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2011.
A primary school teacher tortured a first grade student because she forgot to bring her slate to class on Wednesday.
According to local residents, Qaimpur resident Shakeela, 6, is a student of class-1 at the Government Girls Primary School Chah Dipay Wala.
On Wednesday, her teacher Amina used a stick to thrash the girl in front of her class mates after she forgot to bring her slate to class. Shakeela lost the use of her arm after it was dislocated and was severely beaten.
Doctors reset the arm after several hours and have filed a medical certificate confirming torture. Shakeela’s father Allah Ditta told The Express Tribune that he could not afford to send his daughter to a private school but that the attitude of the teachers was often violent.
Allah Datta and dozens of other villagers protested against the incident outside the Qaimpur Police station.
“The police said that this wasn’t a serious matter and because my daughter regained use of her arm after several hours that they wouldn’t register the case,” Allah Datta said.
“No bones were broken and the child was only bruised. We cannot register a case for that, this is routine,” Inspector Javed said. The Assistant Education Officer Ms Afshan, however, took the notice of the issue and visited the school. “The teacher in question has been suspended and we have launched an inquiry into the incident,” she said.
The victim’s family said that the teacher’s husband was also a government teacher and a landlord in the area. “He is trying to influence the inquiry by exerting pressure on us and has threatened us to take back the complaint,” Allah Datta said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2011.