The mother of a 13-year-old girl who was stabbed by another pupil at South Woodham's William de Ferrers school has spoken of the family's anguish.
Katie Burrows suffered a minor wound to the chest and another below the waist after she was allegedly attacked with a craft knife in an art lesson.
Mother Sharon Burrows was called to the school last Wednesday, but was first told her daughter had suffered a cut finger.
"It was a good job they did tell me that or I would''t have been able to drive there," said Mrs Burrows. "But you can imagine my shock and disbelief when I got there, saw her covered in blood and was told what had happened - it's every mother's worst nightmare."
Katie was first treated in the school's medical room. She was then taken by ambulance to Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital and was later discharged.
Mrs Burrows said the school deserved its good reputation and didn't feel that craft knives should be banned, but was adamant the incident shouldn't be played down. "Hopefully it was a one-off and lessons can be learned, but people have got to know the difference between right and wrong," she said.
Head teacher Dennis Parry this week said banning the use of craft knives would be a "knee-jerk reaction" and also said he was "saddened" at how police had conveyed the incident to the media as a stabbing.
"It is a very emotive term; when you read a pupil at William de Ferrers school has been stabbed it conjures up all sorts of images," he said.
A spokesman for Essex Police said police would not respond to Mr Parry's comments while a criminal investigation was underway.
In a letter that went home with children last Thursday Mr Parry sought to reassure parents: "I am confident that this school is as safe an environment for pupils and staff as it has always been and the incident itself is not a normal reflection of the conduct and behaviour of pupils of this school," he said in the letter.
He went on: "I am confident that when full details are available regarding the incident, which is extremely regrettable, it will be judged in a totally different light."
A 14-year-old boy, also a pupil at the school, was last week arrested on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm. He was questioned by police and bailed until November 26.
Published Tuesday November 16, 2004
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