Fifteen months ago, John McKenna removed his daughter from her primary school. As a special needs child, Vanessa was the target of bullying.

Vanessa hasn't been there since and now the authorities are after him.

John will face court, charged with failing to have a child in his care attend school.

"They didn't want us there and they made that quite clear by the way they have dealt with us. She was run out of the school," John said.

Bullying is acknowledged as having long term and very serious consequences for both the bully and the victim. Experts in the field say it's crucial both are cared for.

John McKenna argues Vanessa's teachers concentrated on just one side of the equation - the bully's.

"Another thing they did was to give them parade awards - they rewarded the bullies, they were trying to raise their esteem," John said.

John and Vanessa claim that in order to protect the school's reputation, one of the teachers tried to cover up the bullying .

"She said keep it a secret," Vanessa said.

John heard from another parent and confronted the teacher about the boy bullying his daughter.

"She said, 'look if Vanessa wants to go to another class, she can. If Vanessa wants to go to another school, she can. But this is his class, this is his school, he's not moving'. They were her exact words. I was disgusted by that," John said.

John McKenna says he can't risk the abuse of his daughter again, despite the legal action against him. Like any parent he is wondering when the authorities will turn their attention to the bullies.