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by pltm
(PLTM) - The male student responsible for brutally beating a young female, who had to be hospitalized, has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
According to information received from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, the 14 year-old student was charged on the evening of Thursday, October 20.
Further information indicated that the victim, who had been on bed rest at the Peebles Hospital since October 18, was discharged on October 20.
Previous Article Published October 20 - Student Hospitalized After Attack; Latinos Feel Targeted
A female student is currently nursing head and neck injuries at the Peebles Hospital after she was attacked by a male student while on the Bregado Flax Educational Centre campus, Virgin Gorda (VG). The young lady, whose family are natives of the Dominican Republic (DR), was transported from Virgin Gorda to Tortola following the incident which occurred on Tuesday, October 18, 2016. BVI Platinum News understands that while standing along the corridor on the school’s compound, she was pushed by the male, who also attends the institution. In inquiring why he had pushed her, the boy allegedly rubbed a plate of food in her face and started to deal her blows. During the beating, he allegedly kicked her in the face and stomped on her head. BVI Platinum News confirmed with the Virgin Gorda Police Station that the incident is being investigated. This incident has caused an uproar in the Latin community on the sister island, as claims have been made that this is not an isolated incident. Members of the community have claimed that female Latinos are being targeted and bullied. In an interview with the guardian of the victim, she noted that she is aware of other incidences that have been swept under the rug and added that, “I am not letting this one go.” “This bullying going on in school and it seems like no one is trying to stop it. People need to know what’s going on. These things are happening, but they are being kept a secret. I just want people to know what’s going on. Virgin Gorda is upside down," the concerned and peeved woman related. She said, “When we send our children to school, we want to have a peace of mind, not thinking if our children are safe.” The woman, whose name is being withheld to protect the child, added that the notion of their nationality seems to be skewed and makes locals act out negatively. “It’s happening constantly. A lot of people think Spanish girls are garbage. No! We are so much more than that. They are targeting them [young Latin girls]; we don’t want to be targeted. Many people have ideas about Spanish people, but we are not all bad.” The woman added that locals often say, “Oh you’re Spanish, I’m going to hit you, I’m going to beat you up and nothing will happen because you’re not from here.” She however expressed, “We have our rights and we want our voices to be heard.” BVI Platinum News made contact with the school for a comment, but was directed to the Ministry of Education. Efforts to secure a comment from the Ministry have been futile up to time of publication.
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