People were very angry when a 16-year-old student openly sexually assaulted his 11-year-old female classmate at a school in the Rumukwurusi area outside Port Harcourt, Rivers State, last Friday.
It was learned that while the student committed the act, his friends witnessed it.
After the incident, the boy reportedly climbed over the school fence to escape but was later caught by the school authorities, while the girl was taken to a undisclosed hospital for treatment.
The news caused anger as pictures of the school girl bleeding were shared online.
Meanwhile, in an interview with a Radio Station (Nigeria Info) in Port Harcourt, the mother of the girl called on the school authorities and the state government to ensure the perpetrator was punished.
The upset mother, who is a widow, said she received a distress call from the school to come over immediately and found her daughter bleeding heavily when she arrived.
She said, “The school should hand over the boy who did that, and I want justice for my daughter. I’m a widow, and I don’t have anybody. It is just me and my children.
“They should hand over the boy. He should not be let off the hook because maybe he has done it to other people, but he won’t get away with it this time. And I want people to help me.”
She also mentioned that her daughter lost a lot of blood from the incident.
She added, “I got a call from the school that I should come because it was an emergency. I had to rush to the school. When I got there, I saw my daughter bleeding seriously. The bleeding was too much.
“I had to take care of my daughter first by bringing her to the hospital while the boy was still in the school's custody. They said they will hold the boy for me. The doctors have not said anything yet. They are just taking care of her at the moment but the situation is still like that, no improvement and the money is expensive.”
The incident has sparked anger on social media, with many condemning the act and demanding the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying the male student has been arrested while the investigation is ongoing.
Iringe-Koko said, “The boy has been arrested and the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. The outcome of our investigation would be made known subsequently.”
