Page 9 | to wonder about bystanders ( eg during assault on school girl in Ashford)

whatchaos · 2023-02-08T13:24:11+00:00

to wonder about the ethics of being a bystander, and wonder what the bystanders were doing during the appalling assault in Ashford (Surrey) when a schoolgirl was beaten up, the awful video shows a grown woman encouraging primary aged kids to get involved...but there are any number of bystanders including a man in a car, the school principal (at the end) and any number of other school kids including much older looking boys. Wondering if anyone here would have tried to intervene to stop the fight or encouraged their children to intervene in cases like this? https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/girl-10-among-five-arrested-29158603

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:05

I don't think the people making those comments possible understand that area either and those staff were away from the school and in a mob.

SnowFir · 09/02/2023 23:07

Why are these people furious at the school and not the people who carried out the attack? Are they scared of the attackers and the school staff are an easier target to vent their anger as they know there will be no reprisals from the staff? It's cowardly

EmmiJay · 09/02/2023 23:09

If you watch the video you'll see two men stroll up to the incident with ZERO urgency and even watch a few more punches get thrown!!!!!! Sack them!!! This whole situation boils my blood. And rough area, feral "people" or not, I'm helping that poor young black girl out!! She was on her own ffs!

SnowFir · 09/02/2023 23:11

I hope the police protect the staff from the vile, cowardly mob. I bet they wouldn't dare try and target the perpetrators the way they are trying to bully the school staff!

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:12

IMO it's become politicised really fast, and people with a certain outlook are hunting for authority figures to take down, and proof of institutional racism. Right now we don't actually know the motive for the attack.

SnowFir · 09/02/2023 23:14

EmmiJay · 09/02/2023 23:09

If you watch the video you'll see two men stroll up to the incident with ZERO urgency and even watch a few more punches get thrown!!!!!! Sack them!!! This whole situation boils my blood. And rough area, feral "people" or not, I'm helping that poor young black girl out!! She was on her own ffs!

I have watched the video. They diffused the situation and stopped it and the girl walked away. If they'd rushed in yelling and grabbing it would have made things even worse. Target your anger at the attackers not the school staff, just because they're an easier target.

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:19

@NotTerfNorCis

It has but the school teachers didn't perpetrate this attack.

The attackers did and strangely the language that the main woman is saying is "disablist actually".

She's calling the girl every disability under the sun which is interesting.

I'm obviously concerned for the victim but the Children attacking are clearly victims also and need immediate removal from that woman.

Greenshake · 09/02/2023 23:19

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:12

IMO it's become politicised really fast, and people with a certain outlook are hunting for authority figures to take down, and proof of institutional racism. Right now we don't actually know the motive for the attack.

I am not sure there is any motive that can justify that shocking piece of violence.

SnowFir · 09/02/2023 23:20

BoattoBolivia · 09/02/2023 21:33

Having been a parent at this particular school for the last 10 years, it has made me incredibly sad to see how the teachers are being blamed for this.

Obviously the attack was horrific and the police have quite rightly arrested as many as they can get hold of. I am not prepared to discuss the various ethnicities involved, as I don't know any of the people involved personally but I DO know the staff. They care and are very professional.

The current Head has been there about 3 years and is relatively new to the area, unlike the previous Head who had started her teaching career there and stayed until retirement! The Head is a very calm and controlled man. The fact that he was able to calmly diffuse the situation, without shouting or escalating things, or getting involved physically, says a lot about his abilities as a Head teacher. The problem is that people want to see him coming in with fists flying. That would have finished his career and possibly resulted in awful injuries.

This took place, not outside the school gates, but further down the road, at least 15 minutes after school had ended. That particular spot is not visible from anywhere on the school site. Only the victim was a pupil, as far as I am aware. I just don't see what people expect from the school.

It's no wonder teachers are leaving the profession in droves- as well as everything else, society expects them to be vigilantes, with no thought to their own or their family 's safety. I wasn't aware that bouncer training was on the teacher training syllabus!

I wish all the keyboard warriors would sign up to the police or to teaching and put themselves out there in real life.

Sadly you might well lose the Head and other good teachers, not because they've done anything wrong but because it's probably not worth their while dealing with a mob trying to bully them out of the job, because they're an easier target than the attackers.

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:21

Greenshake · 09/02/2023 23:19

I am not sure there is any motive that can justify that shocking piece of violence.

Show quote history

I agree. The point is, it's been reported as a racist attack but there's no proof it was.

AutumnDaysConkers · 09/02/2023 23:24

SnowFir · 09/02/2023 23:07

Why are these people furious at the school and not the people who carried out the attack? Are they scared of the attackers and the school staff are an easier target to vent their anger as they know there will be no reprisals from the staff? It's cowardly

I get the impression that this is the reason as well.
The headmaster should have acted with a bit more urgency though.

AutumnDaysConkers · 09/02/2023 23:28

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:19

@NotTerfNorCis

It has but the school teachers didn't perpetrate this attack.

The attackers did and strangely the language that the main woman is saying is "disablist actually".

She's calling the girl every disability under the sun which is interesting.

I'm obviously concerned for the victim but the Children attacking are clearly victims also and need immediate removal from that woman.

I agree. That woman is more dangerous than the girls. She is pushing for the fight and telling them what to do. I feel the girls are in a way 'victims' as well. But obviously my sympathies lie with the girl that was ganged up on.

Greenshake · 09/02/2023 23:29

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:21

I agree. The point is, it's been reported as a racist attack but there's no proof it was.

Show quote history

Well, there much be something as the arrests were on the basis of attempted racially aggravated GBH and racial harassment.

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:32

Unfortunately I don't think the teachers have done themselves any favours there.

I agree they certainly shouldn't have laid a finger on anyone or sounded angry however his body language is rather nonchalant.
His voice is rather casual.

Why not a sharp " stop it * to immediately halt the violence? Get the victim and get her back to the school safely?

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:34

I'm afraid all the children exposed to an upbringing like that the woman clearly wants to "instruct and teach them in" have little chance of behaving like normal civilised humans have they?

11 year old girls being instructed to get up on her, they are doing what they know and been told to do.

I hope they are all removed if that's thier mother immediately and any other child exposed to her.

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:39

It looks to me like the teachers are trying not to antagonise the aggressive mum, who's right behind them. They're speaking in a calming, 'sensible' tone. When they step in, the mum says 'that's it' and calls the attackers off. From the teachers' body language, it seems like they want to physically intervene but can't (one stretches his arm out as though to separate the girls). Then they immediately put themselves between the victim and the crowd.

UselessExLondoner · 09/02/2023 23:42

@Cinecitta

Go on Facebook and type in Thomas Knyvett then type in videos. Scroll down a bit and you will find it.

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:45

Yes but apparently they left her to go off? They didn't get her back to the school?

Floofyduffypuddy · 09/02/2023 23:45

They should have got her back to a place of safety, called parents and took a statement?

NotTerfNorCis · 09/02/2023 23:48

Maybe it was her decision to walk away? We don't know what happened. I'm sure the incident would have been written up, so it'll come out.

UselessExLondoner · 09/02/2023 23:53

It looks to me like they are going to surround the victim to stop her being hurt. They can't react by shouting or grabbing as it will antagonise the situation further. And it looks like it worked, the attackers' mother called them back and the attackers left the girl alone.

I don't think the teachers can be blamed for how they reacted to the attack and stopped it.

However it is possible that they could have done more to prevent it. Reports state that the victim and her friend had complained to the school about the attacker already. The victim definitely seems to have told staff at the school that she was being called racially abusive names. But I don't know the full circumstances, so it's difficult to say if the school could have prevented it.

earsup · 10/02/2023 00:08

Always a tricky decision when there is a fight....I once tried to intervene when 2 very large and obese women were drunkenly fighting....think Milli Tant types, they were scary...one abused me and chucked a kebab at me and told me to F off, the other one tried to punch me but was so drunk, she fell over and hit the pavement and I walked away !!

earsup · 10/02/2023 00:12

AutumnDaysConkers · 09/02/2023 22:27

@Greenshake I'm talking about arresting people on travellers sites. As I said my police friend had told me how difficult it to arrest a traveller. You can't just go on the site with 3 or 4 officers. You need a lot of police as it will kick off big time. This not only costs a lot each time but there is a huge risk of someone getting hurt.

the police wont go onto those sites, our car was stolen and seen on one site in kent, police just wouldnt go and get it back. lucky we had good insurance and we got back what we paid...these traveller sites shouldnt be no go areas for police, why are they so scared of them. send in riot squads and arrest them.

MrsMurphyIWish · 10/02/2023 05:56

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-64585043

MP has written to DfE to look into “the professional performance of teachers”. The crime is despicable but why are the Head and school staff vilified?

Katjolo · 10/02/2023 07:05

Terrible assault. The woman and children need serious consequences! She is not fit to be a mother and deserves a jail sentence.