Schoolgirls spiked my daughter’s drink with laxatives.

[Halfordscarpark]

This is more of a WWYD I guess.

My daughter has been bullied recently at school, some physical, some verbal and this week the bullies poured laxatives into her water bottle at lunchtime and I had to leave work to collect her.

I’ve not heard anything more from the school or the parents and the children are still in school.

I’m interested to hear what you think and what you would do in this situation as this is not acceptable.

Sounds like the school just want this to go away.

I'd be beyond furious and given that they appear to be doing nothing (well at least nothing that is being communicated to you) I would be contacting the police (and letting the school know why I had).

Awful behaviour by both the girls and the school.

Call the police because next time it won't be laxatives, it'll be something more lethal if they think they can get away with it now.

This ^^. Like @violetcuriosity I work at a senior level in schools. She is spot on.

This is horrific, I was imagining a prank gone too far, but to do that and force her to drink it is absolutely horrendous. I work in the justice system and DH works in youth justice/mental health we would both report this to police.
I'd also be emailing the school to tell them I'd done that, highlighting the lack of communication from them, if their anti bullying policy is on the website attach a copy. I'd also be requesting a time frame for a response and a plan at to how they intended to keep my child safe and I wouldn't be sending her back until I got those things.

There should absolutely be significant consequences, they are children but what they have done shows such clear intent to cause another child harm and humiliation. They need intervention.

The update is horrifiying.

I'd follow the police/pressure on school again and...this.

https://complain.ofsted.gov.uk/

I agree that you should contact the police, message school again ( the most senior person) and get the school governors involved. Tell the school they have to deal with it, demand a face to face meeting. That’s appalling and they need to do something. I hope your daughter is ok. What a horrible thing for her to have to deal with.

Copy in the governors or failing that call the local papers as schools hate negative publicity. You'll find that suddenly they'll want to protect their reputation.

This changes everything.
Police, school board, LEA.

Go nuclear. I’m so sorry for you and your daughter.

I agree with @violetcuriosity

Probably obvious advice, but don't wash the bottle. It needs to be handed into the police as evidence.

I've known girls be in trouble for carrying painkillers at school for their own period pain, so that is one offence without them putting them in your dd drink & forcing her to drink it. You need to go in hard & not let school wriggle out of this.

I will contact governors, police, newspapers (probably a bit far). Will make a big fuss on this; completely unacceptable. Will cons moving schools if things don’t improve

This. It's the humiliation that is really disturbing here.

Let the school know you've reported the girls and the school to the police.

I would report this to the police. It’s a criminal offence. Poisoning maybe? The level of bullying is serious enough for police involvement.

This is a terrible result from the school, they've had plenty of time to sort this out.

I'd be incline to wonder if there's any chance the school are ignoring you and waiting for the 6 week school holiday to arrive in the hope you'll forget about it.

I'd call on Monday informing them that in all fairness you've waited long enough and will now be passing your complaint to the police.

Police, immediately.

I don't normally advise this but I think the Police should be called. As another post advised contact Ofsted re the school, say the school promised but had not contacted you, will put a rocket up there arses if Ofsted contacts the School.

How dreadful. The school have a safeguarding responsibility. I am so angry on your daughter’s behalf.

Seconding everyone saying to contact the police- it isn't an overreaction in this instance.

The school are obviously useless and maybe have their hands tied when it comes to how much they can realistically do. The police will be able to do a lot more.

For hose who work in relevant roles, what would you expect the school to do? Obviously what has been done isn't ok, but it would be useful to understand what appropriate consequences would be for the perpetrators.

Such good advice on this thread. Agree with the « go nuclear » approach.

You'd be surprised how a threat of reporting to the local newspaper can make a difference.

A local school bully was finally permanently excluded after one parent shouted louder, so to speak, than the bullies parents.

Thank you Crumpleton, this is what I feel, I guess I just needed to hear it.

I don’t want to cause a scene but at the same time I can’t afford to let these kids get away with such harmful behaviour.

The lack of communication from the school is very poor. What are they doing to investigate and deal with the bullies and how do they propose to keep your daughter safe in future?

Please do report this to the police if you haven't already. I'd do this over the weekend and then contact the school first thing on Monday. Violetcuriosity gave some excellent advice.

Has your DD been back in school since?