Woman on schoolgirl assault charge

A 47-year-old woman is accused of latching onto a teenage girl’s face with both hands before shoving her backwards at York District High School after a dispute between two schoolboys.

Police have charged the woman, who is the aunt of a Year 7 student, and ordered her to stay away from the school after the incident on school grounds yesterday afternoon.

The alleged assault came just hours after the woman’s nephew and the 14-year-old girl’s younger brother had allegedly argued at the school.

The 47-year-old allegedly aggressively confronted the 12-year-old boy in the quadrangle after her nephew told her of the clash with his classmate when she collected him from school about 3pm.

York police Sgt Mark Gubanyi claimed the 14-year-old girl was concerned about the woman’s behaviour and asked her to leave her brother alone before standing in between them.

“The woman has then latched onto the girl’s face with both hands and pushed her back heavily,” he alleged. “The 14-year-old has a sore neck and scratches on her neck and above her eye that were allegedly caused by the woman’s fingernails.”

A teacher at the school separated the pair and called police.

“This is a very good school and this type of incident is unacceptable,” Sgt Gubanyi said.

Education director-general Sharyn O’Neill said she had incomplete information about the incident, but she understood it involved somebody from outside the school going on to the grounds and allegedly assaulting a student.

She said the matter would be treated seriously.

“We are providing support to that child,” Ms O’Neill said. “But at this stage, that detail is yet to be fully completed and provided to me.

“Schools are places of learning, they are not places of violence.

“Parents should be able to send their children to school and feel like they are safe.”

Police have charged the woman with aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm. She is due to face Northam Magistrate’s Court on September 8.