Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh Lachlan Catholic College in Darwin. It was sent into
a lockdown yesterday morning, and we're going to be getting
Paul on the line right now, but it was sent
into a lockdown yesterday morning after a youth entered the
school grounds. Now, the thirteen year old, who does not
attend the school, allegedly punched four students, sparking the lockdown.
(00:22):
Police attended and the lockdown was lifted a short time later,
with investigations ongoing. Now, I am not sure whether we've
got a situation where that child has now been taken
into custody or exactly what's gone on. But a caller
is also saying that Holy Family Primary went into lockdown
when o'lachlan College did yesterday due to the same incident.
(00:45):
So preschool transition kids right up to year year six
also freaking out, says that text. So it's a terrible
situation and a terrible situation that you know that those
kids are then in and incredibly frightening, and you know,
it doesn't matter the age of the of the kid
(01:07):
that's ended up on the school grounds when you have
that threatening, intimidating kind of behavior going on and kids
there allegedly being assaulted. It's just horrender us and something
that they should not have to worry about when they
go to school. It's certainly something that you don't expect
you're going to need to worry about when your children
are at school, that is for sure. So yeah, it's
(01:30):
it's frightening. And joining us on the line right now
to tell us a little bit more about what exactly
did go on. It is Catholic Education NT Director Paul Grieves.
Good morning to you, Paul.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Oh, good morning, Katie. Thank you the opportune to come
and talk.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, thanks so much for joining us, Paul, what exactly
unfolded yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Look the details that we know it and look and
almost obviously we've had police their supporting. We're very grateful
for that. But I'm just to cast a broad sort
of view of what occurred. It was something that was
very unusual and something that you know, your words there
were right. You know, we certainly wouldn't expect any kid
to go to school and have to put up with
(02:13):
the prospect of being assaulted by someone from outside the school.
Now we believe a person has literally jumped the sense
of the school, has gone into the school grounds and
quite randomly, and it's a person not known to the
school at all, So it is when you say random
that it sort of fits that category really well, you know,
(02:35):
and has gone up to some students and assaulted them.
And any assaults are really you know, for a kid especially,
it is a really time to deal with because you're
not expecting it. It's not something you provoked, it's not
something that was aware of your part of the day.
(02:55):
So it's just highly concerned and I really feel for
those kids, those families that have had to get those
calls to say that this has occurred. And I certainly
totally recognized that it was unprovoked, it was someone unknown
to the school. Now the way the school responded immediately, Look,
I'm just so grateful that we do do our training
(03:17):
and all of our schools around lockdowns and what to
do in all sorts of situations, and that was all
swung into gear. Police were contacted, ambulance were contacted, Police
got their good time and were certainly offering advice and
support to the school. And the school was in lockdown
for about just over an hour and it probably didn't
(03:37):
need to be for that long, but out of caution.
We did go just to make sure that everything was clear,
and we got those reassurances from police that it was okay.
So I had the kids back in the yard and
things to resume. Are those kids of normal as normal
as it can be in that circumstance.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Are those kids okay? Those so it was four kids
that were assaulted.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It was now obviously any kids being hit, we're going
to call ambulance of medical attention paramedics because that's just
what we do. Duty of care to the kids is paramount. Now,
none of the kids required transport to hospital law by
ambulance for any medical attention. One of the students was
(04:22):
taken I'm informed by their parents to seek assessment around
a lock to the head. That didn't require ambulance transport
for that to happen, And you know, that's I think
that's We're glad the kids weren't more seriously injured, but
the fact they approached and injured at all is just
(04:45):
that's the concern.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
It's appalling, you know, it is appalling that that the school,
you guys, it's a wonderful school, and to have to
deal with a child that does not go to the
school that has nothing to do with the school rocking up,
jumping as events. Assaulting those children is appalling. Now we've
had a parent call in and say that their child
(05:06):
goes to our Lachlan and they said that this thirteen
year old had made threats that he was going to
come back with a machete and that the kids are
all pretty scared that it's going to happen again.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah. Look, I totally understand the fear that would be
there because it's happened randomly once and you kind of
wonder if that's going to be the case again. Look,
we certainly in terms of presence and supervision that the
school is doing that as much as is physically possible,
and the way they're managing the situations try and reassure
(05:44):
the kids, to look after them and to deal with
those feelings of anxiety and nervousness around that. That's all
part of our response to it, and we've had support
from the Catholic Education Office here at the school to
help them with that because it's a big job. Yeah,
I think the teachers on the ground themselves, so the
best resource we've gotten. The way they responded yesterday is
(06:05):
to their credit, they really did calm things down, keep
the order of things, keep the students reassured. Now, We're
going to continue to do that in the future. But
the sense that there is an increase of vigilance and
presence and supervision on the school site is the way
that I'd be phrasing that right now. I believe there
(06:28):
were some threats made. We really don't know. We're education experts,
we're not security experts, and how to deal with things
like that. Listen, you know, I'd hate to think that
schools have to become almost prison like in the way
we conduct our business and things.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I agree. I agree, you shouldn't have to want no
absolutely education, Yeah no, you're there to educate the kids.
Have you had to put security on or anything like that?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Paul, Look, you know, we just I'll use the term
presence and supervision right now because that's what we're We
certainly are doing to keep the site as secure as possible.
We did have some security at the school yesterday, being
cognizant of those things that were said. Nothing eventuated at
(07:14):
all yesterday with what we know the threats that were made,
but certainly to affirm the school for their response and
also to thank the police for the advice that they
gave and the presence there in the sense that they
did respond very quickly what we believed appropriately to a
situation that was a hugely concerning one for school, and
(07:36):
the parents and the principal got information out to families
in writing as soon as we practically could yesterday to
reassure them here's what happened, here's how we've responded, here's
what's happening there. And look, I really for those kids
that were caught up in it yesterday that it is
(07:57):
something that they can through court and I know through
families in school to help them feel again school, Paul.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Can I just ask what ages were the four children
that were that were assaulted.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I haven't got the information for you, Katie. That's all right,
that's not something I've got at the hand.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I believe that. I believe that from the younger year groups,
right than the older ones.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, so more primary school seven time, okay, yeah, more
than middle school I.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Think year eight nine, I think.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Again, I'm not I haven't got the information to hand,
but I did. I had the impression it wasn't the
older kids.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yeah, Paul, Can I ask I mean, we've had parents
saying that the child that was that jumped the fence
and that did this offending had an ankle monitoring bracelet on.
Do you know if that was the case.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I haven't got the information.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
We'll try and follow that up. We'll certainly try and
follow that up.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And looking if it's a minor and what's happening there
is probably that's not for me to comment. It's really
something that that's a police matter, and you know that's
what it is. I'm happy for them to be dealing
with it. I said, that's not our world offer.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, that's fine. No, No, that's fine, Paul. Look to
any of you know, to any of the parents that
are listening this morning of children at that school, I mean,
what would you say to them in terms of the
ongoing safety of the kids. I know the school's got
an impeccable reputation, you know, Lachlan, the teaching staff, the students,
(09:36):
it's it's certainly a school that I hear a lot
of wonderful things about and I've no doubt that everybody
is just really upset by what's happened.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Absolutely, and looking at your comment there about I've got
nothing but exactly the same things to say myself to
look and people are voting with their feet as well,
because it's it's in our system of schools. We've got schools.
Lachlin is remarkable this year for increasing its enrollment by
a percentage pretty much more than any other school in
the system. So people are looking at it and saying,
(10:10):
I want my kids to go there, and I think
to have this happen now and to make them sort
of go, well, gay, is my kids safe? I totally
understand that question, and I would like to It's great
to have this opportunity to reassure them that everything that
we can possibly look at to understand this, respond to it,
and learn from it is happening. And that's at the
(10:33):
office level, and that's at the school level, and the
staff's concerned for the welfare of the kids was just
born out in mere response yesterday. So I think that's
the best thing I can say that there's an incredibly
caring community that is doing everything that can to understand
this situation and to have things in place. Two, you know,
(10:53):
we can't stop people jumping fences and running into yards.
That's almost impossible. You have a fence around the school
to try and preclude that, and to be honest, I
remember the days of in the past when we didn't
have YES because of the things, you know, and that's
what we do now, so that if someone's intent on
(11:14):
avoiding those security measures and trying to get in there,
well we've got to be able to respond as best
we can if that does occur. And it's very very rare.
It's incredibly rare for this kind of thing to happen,
and it is something we really hope doesn't happen again.
But I do want to reassure parents that we're learning
(11:35):
from this and we are doing everything we can to
have that presence and supervision to look after those students.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Catholic Education Into Director Paul Greeves, we are going to
have to leave it there. I really appreciate your time
this morning. Thank you for taking the time to have
a chat with us.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Thanks Katie, thank you
Oh Lachlan Catholic College in Darwin. It was sent into
a lockdown yesterday morning, and we're going to be getting
Paul on the line right now, but it was sent
into a lockdown yesterday morning after a youth entered the
school grounds. Now, the thirteen year old, who does not
attend the school, allegedly punched four students, sparking the lockdown.
(00:22):
Police attended and the lockdown was lifted a short time later,
with investigations ongoing. Now, I am not sure whether we've
got a situation where that child has now been taken
into custody or exactly what's gone on. But a caller
is also saying that Holy Family Primary went into lockdown
when o'lachlan College did yesterday due to the same incident.
(00:45):
So preschool transition kids right up to year year six
also freaking out, says that text. So it's a terrible
situation and a terrible situation that you know that those
kids are then in and incredibly frightening, and you know,
it doesn't matter the age of the of the kid
(01:07):
that's ended up on the school grounds when you have
that threatening, intimidating kind of behavior going on and kids
there allegedly being assaulted. It's just horrender us and something
that they should not have to worry about when they
go to school. It's certainly something that you don't expect
you're going to need to worry about when your children
are at school, that is for sure. So yeah, it's
(01:30):
it's frightening. And joining us on the line right now
to tell us a little bit more about what exactly
did go on. It is Catholic Education NT Director Paul Grieves.
Good morning to you, Paul.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Oh, good morning, Katie. Thank you the opportune to come
and talk.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yeah, thanks so much for joining us, Paul, what exactly
unfolded yesterday?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Look the details that we know it and look and
almost obviously we've had police their supporting. We're very grateful
for that. But I'm just to cast a broad sort
of view of what occurred. It was something that was
very unusual and something that you know, your words there
were right. You know, we certainly wouldn't expect any kid
to go to school and have to put up with
(02:13):
the prospect of being assaulted by someone from outside the school.
Now we believe a person has literally jumped the sense
of the school, has gone into the school grounds and
quite randomly, and it's a person not known to the
school at all, So it is when you say random
that it sort of fits that category really well, you know,
(02:35):
and has gone up to some students and assaulted them.
And any assaults are really you know, for a kid especially,
it is a really time to deal with because you're
not expecting it. It's not something you provoked, it's not
something that was aware of your part of the day.
(02:55):
So it's just highly concerned and I really feel for
those kids, those families that have had to get those
calls to say that this has occurred. And I certainly
totally recognized that it was unprovoked, it was someone unknown
to the school. Now the way the school responded immediately, Look,
I'm just so grateful that we do do our training
(03:17):
and all of our schools around lockdowns and what to
do in all sorts of situations, and that was all
swung into gear. Police were contacted, ambulance were contacted, Police
got their good time and were certainly offering advice and
support to the school. And the school was in lockdown
for about just over an hour and it probably didn't
(03:37):
need to be for that long, but out of caution.
We did go just to make sure that everything was clear,
and we got those reassurances from police that it was okay.
So I had the kids back in the yard and
things to resume. Are those kids of normal as normal
as it can be in that circumstance.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Are those kids okay? Those so it was four kids
that were assaulted.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
It was now obviously any kids being hit, we're going
to call ambulance of medical attention paramedics because that's just
what we do. Duty of care to the kids is paramount. Now,
none of the kids required transport to hospital law by
ambulance for any medical attention. One of the students was
(04:22):
taken I'm informed by their parents to seek assessment around
a lock to the head. That didn't require ambulance transport
for that to happen, And you know, that's I think
that's We're glad the kids weren't more seriously injured, but
the fact they approached and injured at all is just
(04:45):
that's the concern.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
It's appalling, you know, it is appalling that that the school,
you guys, it's a wonderful school, and to have to
deal with a child that does not go to the
school that has nothing to do with the school rocking up,
jumping as events. Assaulting those children is appalling. Now we've
had a parent call in and say that their child
(05:06):
goes to our Lachlan and they said that this thirteen
year old had made threats that he was going to
come back with a machete and that the kids are
all pretty scared that it's going to happen again.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah. Look, I totally understand the fear that would be
there because it's happened randomly once and you kind of
wonder if that's going to be the case again. Look,
we certainly in terms of presence and supervision that the
school is doing that as much as is physically possible,
and the way they're managing the situations try and reassure
(05:44):
the kids, to look after them and to deal with
those feelings of anxiety and nervousness around that. That's all
part of our response to it, and we've had support
from the Catholic Education Office here at the school to
help them with that because it's a big job. Yeah,
I think the teachers on the ground themselves, so the
best resource we've gotten. The way they responded yesterday is
(06:05):
to their credit, they really did calm things down, keep
the order of things, keep the students reassured. Now, We're
going to continue to do that in the future. But
the sense that there is an increase of vigilance and
presence and supervision on the school site is the way
that I'd be phrasing that right now. I believe there
(06:28):
were some threats made. We really don't know. We're education experts,
we're not security experts, and how to deal with things
like that. Listen, you know, I'd hate to think that
schools have to become almost prison like in the way
we conduct our business and things.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I agree. I agree, you shouldn't have to want no
absolutely education, Yeah no, you're there to educate the kids.
Have you had to put security on or anything like that?
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Paul, Look, you know, we just I'll use the term
presence and supervision right now because that's what we're We
certainly are doing to keep the site as secure as possible.
We did have some security at the school yesterday, being
cognizant of those things that were said. Nothing eventuated at
(07:14):
all yesterday with what we know the threats that were made,
but certainly to affirm the school for their response and
also to thank the police for the advice that they
gave and the presence there in the sense that they
did respond very quickly what we believed appropriately to a
situation that was a hugely concerning one for school, and
(07:36):
the parents and the principal got information out to families
in writing as soon as we practically could yesterday to
reassure them here's what happened, here's how we've responded, here's
what's happening there. And look, I really for those kids
that were caught up in it yesterday that it is
(07:57):
something that they can through court and I know through
families in school to help them feel again school, Paul.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Can I just ask what ages were the four children
that were that were assaulted.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
I haven't got the information for you, Katie. That's all right,
that's not something I've got at the hand.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
I believe that. I believe that from the younger year groups,
right than the older ones.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Okay, so more primary school seven time, okay, yeah, more
than middle school I.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Think year eight nine, I think.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Again, I'm not I haven't got the information to hand,
but I did. I had the impression it wasn't the
older kids.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Yeah, Paul, Can I ask I mean, we've had parents
saying that the child that was that jumped the fence
and that did this offending had an ankle monitoring bracelet on.
Do you know if that was the case.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I haven't got the information.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
We'll try and follow that up. We'll certainly try and
follow that up.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And looking if it's a minor and what's happening there
is probably that's not for me to comment. It's really
something that that's a police matter, and you know that's
what it is. I'm happy for them to be dealing
with it. I said, that's not our world offer.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Yeah, that's fine. No, No, that's fine, Paul. Look to
any of you know, to any of the parents that
are listening this morning of children at that school, I mean,
what would you say to them in terms of the
ongoing safety of the kids. I know the school's got
an impeccable reputation, you know, Lachlan, the teaching staff, the students,
(09:36):
it's it's certainly a school that I hear a lot
of wonderful things about and I've no doubt that everybody
is just really upset by what's happened.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Absolutely, and looking at your comment there about I've got
nothing but exactly the same things to say myself to
look and people are voting with their feet as well,
because it's it's in our system of schools. We've got schools.
Lachlin is remarkable this year for increasing its enrollment by
a percentage pretty much more than any other school in
the system. So people are looking at it and saying,
(10:10):
I want my kids to go there, and I think
to have this happen now and to make them sort
of go, well, gay, is my kids safe? I totally
understand that question, and I would like to It's great
to have this opportunity to reassure them that everything that
we can possibly look at to understand this, respond to it,
and learn from it is happening. And that's at the
(10:33):
office level, and that's at the school level, and the
staff's concerned for the welfare of the kids was just
born out in mere response yesterday. So I think that's
the best thing I can say that there's an incredibly
caring community that is doing everything that can to understand
this situation and to have things in place. Two, you know,
(10:53):
we can't stop people jumping fences and running into yards.
That's almost impossible. You have a fence around the school
to try and preclude that, and to be honest, I
remember the days of in the past when we didn't
have YES because of the things, you know, and that's
what we do now, so that if someone's intent on
(11:14):
avoiding those security measures and trying to get in there,
well we've got to be able to respond as best
we can if that does occur. And it's very very rare.
It's incredibly rare for this kind of thing to happen,
and it is something we really hope doesn't happen again.
But I do want to reassure parents that we're learning
(11:35):
from this and we are doing everything we can to
have that presence and supervision to look after those students.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Catholic Education Into Director Paul Greeves, we are going to
have to leave it there. I really appreciate your time
this morning. Thank you for taking the time to have
a chat with us.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
Thanks Katie, thank you
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