Protest held at school after assault

Around 200 people held a protest outside a post-primary school in north Belfast on Thursday.

Police have previously said that an assault which occurred at Belfast Model School for Girls is being investigated as a hate crime.

Parents at the protest told BBC News NI they were concerned for the safety of their children at the school.

The Education Authority (EA) has confirmed they are working with the school and the PSNI “to ensure the safety and well-being” of pupils.

In a statement on Thursday, the principal of the school, Paula Stuart, said she was limited in what she could say due to the ongoing police investigation.

“However, I wish to reassure parents and students that the PSNI were onsite to view CCTV and no knives were involved.

“I would reiterate that many of the claims on social media are entirely inaccurate and ask for our school community’s support in helping to stop the spread of misinformation.”

The EA also said that “contrary to some reports, there is no evidence to support inaccurate claims or fears being expressed on social media around pupil safety at the school”.

Belfast Model School for Girls is a large school with over 1000 pupils.

It has previously won a School of Sanctuary award for its work.

A School of Sanctuary Award is given to schools that “are welcoming places for students and their families, where every child feels safe, where they are fully accepted”.

Jan told BBC News NI she had come to the protest at the school “to protect my daughter”.

“There is bullying goes on in the school,” she said.

Meanwhile, Joy, who has a grand-daughter at the school, said she had asked to go to a meeting with the school principal.

“What is the school doing and the education and library board to protect our children because it’s obviously not enough or you wouldn’t have people here,” she added.

She said that more communication from the school could reduce the speculation about the incident on social media.

“That’s why we’re actually down, to ask the questions,” she said.

“Parents would feel not as worried and a lot more confident sending their children to school knowing if they’re in actually a place of safety.

“We want questions answered.”

The North Belfast DUP MLA Brian Kingston was at the protest to speak to those attending.

“Parents are here because they’re concerned about the safety of their daughters at the school,” he said.

“There was some sort of physical incident here on Tuesday in the playground, I understand with four pupils involved.

“There is a crisis in confidence unfortunately, in pupil safety.”

He also said there had been a lot of “claims and speculation on social media”.

“We will also have to have engagement between the school and the school community to restore confidence,” Kingston said.

“We need to get the truth first and foremost, because people have their own versions of the truth”.