SINGAPORE: Disciplinary action has been taken against the Assumption Pathway students who were seen bullying another girl in a video that has been circulating online.
"The actions in the video are unacceptable," said the school's principal Mr Eric Leong on Friday (Apr 13) in response to Channel NewsAsia's queries.
"We take a strong stand against bullying, and teach our students to care for others. We have since identified the offenders and taken immediate disciplinary action," he added.
The victim is said to be a special needs student, according to Facebook user Norashsikin Radzelee who uploaded the video.
She said she shared the video after seeing it on Twitter and recorded it off the screen, because she wanted to draw attention to the “atrocious” behaviour of the bullies.
The video, which appeared to be an Instagram story, shows a girl wearing the Assumption Pathway school uniform, holding a toilet brush and attempting to scrub the victim's body and mouth with it.
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Another girl then hung a toilet seat around the victim's neck, while a third student was filmed pushing the victim.
The victim is seen wearing a black trash bag over her uniform.
The caption that accompanied the video, written in Malay, reads: "We are busy bullying this mentally retarded kid here." Throughout the 30-second video, the girls can be heard laughing while bullying the victim.
It is unclear when or where the incident took place.
Ms Norashsikin told Channel NewsAsia she “couldn't believe that people found her (the girl with the brush) actions funny on Twitter ... and some of her friends were supporting her".
"As a teacher myself, I don't condone such things. I was outraged and didn't find it funny at all," she added.
Ms Norashsikin’s friend, who wanted to be known only as Dana, lodged a police report on Friday morning. The 31-year-old said that she felt she had a responsibility to inform the authorities about the incident.
"I can't sit back after watching and sharing the incident online - I knew I had to do something. Therefore, the most legal way of doing it is to report to the police immediately," said Dana.
The principal said the school has reached out to the students' parents.
"We are working with their parents to ensure that the offenders are made aware of the serious consequences of their behaviour, and that they will not repeat such behaviour," said Mr Leong.
"We are also providing counselling and continued support to the victim."
Channel NewsAsia has reached out to the police for more information.
An Instagram story video of three students from Assumption Pathway School bullying another special needs peer went viral on various social media platforms on April 12.
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Toilet brush shoved towards abdomen and face
In the video, the victim is seen wearing a black rubbish bag, while one student shoved a toilet brush towards the victim’s abdomen and face.
Another student then went on to put a toilet seat over her head, while the others began laughing.
For our non-Malay readers, the video has a caption that says “We’re busy… bullying a retarded child.”
Amidst the laughter, the person behind the camera was also heard saying the following phrases to her friends and the special needs student:
“You like?” “Shove it in her, shove it in her!” “You’re so disgusting!”
Victim helpless
Throughout the whole ordeal, the victim seemed aloof and only pushed the brush away when the girl started using the toilet brush to brush her face.
Unfortunately, that small act of retaliation earned her another slap with the toilet brush.
Allegedly on “okay” terms with the victim
After the video was shared widely on social media, one of the girls involved in the incident shared on her Instagram story that she is on “okay” terms with the special needs student.
She had also admitted that she was indeed acting “too harsh”.
In the same post, she also urged netizens to take down the video.
Accused feels no need to apologise
She also seemed to show no remorse when someone allegedly told her to apologise to the girl.
“I’m okay with her, (why do you) want me to apologise? I spend the whole day in school with her and even go to recess with her. We bullied her mildly. My friends and I didn’t go overboard, we weren’t so violent that she died. That’s enough, it’s useless if you start lecturing me because I’m going to bring that girl (to) talk to anyone (to explain) what just happen just now.”
A few hours later, another Instagram story emerged issuing an apology adding that she has learned from her mistakes.
On April 13, the girl has also gone on to Facebook to post an apology letter, seeking to gain back “everyone’s trust and confidence”.
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Angry reactions
The viral video angered many Singaporeans, some of whom were even more enraged that the bully didn’t feel remorseful enough to apologise at first.
Speaking to Mothership, Assumption Pathway School’s principal stressed that the actions of the bullies are unacceptable and they are providing counselling to the victim.
“The actions in the video are unacceptable. We take a strong stand against bullying, and teach our students to care for others. We have since identified the offenders and taken immediate disciplinary action. We are also working with their parents to ensure that the offenders are made aware of the serious consequences of their behaviour, and that they will not repeat such behaviour. We are also providing counselling and continued support to the victim.”
Top image screenshot via video
The police have gotten involved in the case in which students from Assumption Pathway School heartlessly bullied a fellow student with special needs using a toilet seat and toilet brush.
A video capturing the horrendous incident was first posted as an Instagram by one of the bullies involved in the incident, with a caption in Malay that is translated to: “We’re busy…bullying a retarded child.”
In the original video that did not blur out the victim’s face, the victim appeared shocked and unsure as to what was happening to her, as the bullies hung a toilet seat around her neck and open and close the lid of the seat on the girl’s face.
The bullies can be heard saying, “You like…Shove it in her, shove it in her!…You’re so disgusting!” as they bully the poor victim. The victim tries to push the toilet brush away when one of the bullies tries to rub it in her face but this earns her a slap with the same brush:
One of the bullies involved in the incident later took to social media and wrote that she is “okay” with the victim:
When netizens pressed her to apologise, the girl replied in Malay: “I’m okay with her, (why do you) want me to apologise? I spend the whole day in school with her and even go to recess with her. We bullied her mildly. My friends and I didn’t go overboard, we weren’t so violent that she died. That’s enough, it’s useless if you start lecturing me because I’m going to bring that girl (to) talk to anyone (to explain) what just happen just now.”
The girl later apologised on Instagram before taking to Facebook and sharing that she truly regrets the incident:
In light of the recent incident that involved me and my schoolmates..I would like to sincerely apologise for my… Posted by Shahiraa Iÿaa on Thursday, 12 April 2018
Meanwhile, a netizen who saw the video recorded a copy of it and decided to share it to spread awareness on the case. The netizen, teacher Norashsikin Radzelee, lodged a police report over the matter.
Norashsikin told reporters that she “couldn’t believe that people found her (the girl with the brush) actions funny on Twitter…and some of her friends were supporting her. As a teacher myself, I don’t condone such things. I was outraged and didn’t find it funny at all.”
Norashsikin’s friend, 31-year-old Dana, also lodged a police report and said: “I can’t sit back after watching and sharing the incident online – I knew I had to do something. Therefore, the most legal way of doing it is to report to the police immediately.”
UPDATE: IO Joleen (not sure of the spelling of her name) from Clementi Division had just informed me that the parents'… Posted by Norashsikin Radzelee on Thursday, 12 April 2018
This evening, Assumption Pathway School principal Mr Eric Leong told reporters that disciplinary action has been taken against the students who were bullying their peer. Mr Leong said: “The actions in the video are unacceptable. We take a strong stand against bullying, and teach our students to care for others. We have since identified the offenders and taken immediate disciplinary action.”
He added: “We are working with their parents to ensure that the offenders are made aware of the serious consequences of their behaviour, and that they will not repeat such behaviour. We are also providing counselling and continued support to the victim.”
In the wee hours of this morning, internet vigilantes SMRT Feedback posted a disturbing video that allegedly involved a group of Assumption Pathway School girls bullying a special needs student.
For those not in the know, Assumption Pathway is a specialized secondary school that recruits students who’ve failed their Primary School Leaving Examinations. Their students are equipped with basic literacy and numeracy skills to prepare them for the workforce, and they graduate with a certificate that’ll either qualify them for work immediately or for further studies at the Institute of Technical Education.
The video itself was captured by one of the bullies involved, with the victim made to don a garbage bag and a toilet seat cover over her head while being subjected to prodding with a toilet brush. It remains unclear when exactly the video was taken.
Case of bullying at Assumption Pathway School. The girl with the toilet brush, her instagram username: babyiraa_ (already taken down). If you have information on those involved, let us know. pic.twitter.com/it14HuuqXS — SMRT Feedback (@smrtsg) April 12, 2018
The internet vigilantes also outed the identity of girl who was holding the toilet brush. She has since taken down her Instagram account.
But right before she took down her account, she made a rather shitty attempt at explaining why she did so. “…I was okay with that girl, just that I was too harsh,” she wrote.
In an Instagram message screen grab, the girl said there was no need to apologize because apparently, she and the victim are “okay” now. She also dismissed the criticism, stating that it wasn’t as if they bullied the girl to death.
Then came another screenshot allegedly from a chat with the toilet brush bully, who said that she’d apologize on Monday instead.
A concerned and outraged mother who goes by Norashsikin Radzelee on Facebook then made it her goal to bring the bullies to justice. “You reap what you sow, baby,” she wrote.
But Norashsikin soon became the victim of an attempt to have her post taken down — some folks tried to report her Facebook account as a fake profile. This didn’t succeed, of course.
The latest update by Norashsikin confirmed that she sent an email to the school board about the incident. Assumption Pathway School principal Eric Leong has since replied to the email, assuring that the bullies “will be dealt with appropriately” and, most importantly, help will be given to ensure the well-being of the victim.
Meanwhile, the victim’s parents have also lodged a police report. “The police, school and victim is working together to build a case against the bullies,” Norashsikin.
With her identity (and face) out in public and no choice left but to respond, the girl involved made a rather articulate apology on Facebook today.
