Garda probe as boy, 12, claims he was sexually assaulted with clothes hanger by senior students at Westmeath boarding school

Published: 07:40, 10 Jun 2019

GARDAI have launched an investigation after a 12-year-old boy claimed he was sexually assaulted with a clothes hanger by three senior students at a private boarding school.

The incident allegedly happened at Wilson’s Hospital School in Multyfarnham, Co Westmeath, in late 2017 and has left the victim suffering with mental health issues.

It is alleged three senior students dragged the boy into a dorm room and pinned him down while they tried to anally penetrate him with the hanger.

It’s understood that the alleged victim had his clothes on during the attack and was left with minor injuries.

The incident happened just months after the student started at the boarding school in 2017.

The junior pupil didn’t tell his parents about the attack until December 2017 when it was reported to gardai and Tusla.

‘CAMPAIGN OF BULLYING’

A source told the Irish Sun: “This was the result of a long campaign of bullying against a young boy who has been left mentally devastated due to the incident. He has been to counselling in a bid to put this horrific attack behind him but still suffers to this day.

“Something needs to be done to stop this sort of bullying happening in Irish schools.”

The boy has since left the school and moved to a public school, which helped get him an appointment with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

GARDA PROBE

Gardai have since launched an investigation into the incident and are currently awaiting directions from the DPP on how they should proceed with the case.

A Garda spokesperson told the Irish Sun: “This is an ongoing investigation and a file has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for direction.”

When contacted by the Irish Sun, Wilson’s Hospital School principal Niamh McShane said: “You might note that it is the policy of this school that all matters relating to students are confidential, and accordingly the school does not discuss any student-related matter with any third party.”

The school has an anti-bullying policy, which states that staff will consistently record, investigate and follow-up on such behaviour.

The prestigious Church of Ireland school caters for almost 400 students and has a mixture of boarders and day pupils.

In 2016, King’s Hospital boarding school in Dublin, also governed by the Church of Ireland, made headlines after a 13-year-old student was allegedly sexually assaulted with a hockey stick.

Gardai and Tusla launched investigations into the incident that allegedly saw a group of student remove a boys trousers and threaten to penetrate him with a hockey stick if he didn’t fight another student.