Schools need to look at increasing their security, a local public representative has stated this week following reports by concerned parents to him of persistent bullying and harassment on school grounds.
The bullying and harassment of school children on their way to and from school and during lunchtime also led to a public meeting being called. A group calling themselves Concerned Parents’ Association Castlebar had scheduled a meeting for last week but it was cancelled. A second notice has been issued for a meeting on Wednesday, October 17, in the TF Royal Hotel’s Ruby Room at 9pm.
Issues which will be discussed include safety of children walking and cycling to school without being harassed, safety of children at lunchtime on school grounds and going to and from lunch, safety of children’s property, physical, verbal, text, and cyber threats to children.
The meeting will also explore the idea of setting up a parents’ rota to supervise and protect children on a daily basis.
According to Cllr Michael Kilcoyne there are people in the town who feel terrorised, including school children, and he told the Mayo Advertiser that it was time the Minister for Justice examined what penalties can be imposed on teenagers, who are still underage, and out of control. In some instances parents were actually aware of their children’s actions, Cllr Kilcoyne pointed out.
“There’s a lot of social workers and childcare workers in the HSE. What are they doing about it? They are not doing anything but they should be,” Cllr Kilcoyne added.
At last Monday’s Castlebar joint policing committee meeting Cllr Kilcoyne raised a serious incident of harassment and intimidation which occurred in Hollow Grove and forced a family out of the estate.
According to Cllr Blackie Gavin people are afraid to put their grievances in writing for fear of further bullying and intimidation. He said he raised the issue with the council.
It was the opinion of Cllr Frank Durcan that the victims of this kind of abuse were responsible for its continuation if they did not report it to the gardaí. However, Cllr Kilcoyne pointed out that there was a difference between courage and fear, and these people are living in extreme fear. “If they complain the garda needs to take their name and they are afraid to come forward as witnesses because if they do they will be subjected to further intimidation,” he explained.
“We’re heading for the laws of the jungle,” he added, and pointed the finger at Mayo County Council, the landlord in this particular case, saying the council should be dealing with the situation.
Castlebar Town Council employee Laura Heneghan explained that antisocial behaviour is a serious criminal offence and not nuisance behaviour.
