Three minor boys detained for bullying

Three minors were yesterday detained at a correctional facility for juveniles for brutally attacking another child in Hamad Town few weeks ago. As reported by Tribune yesterday, the parents of the three boys were summoned by the Northern Governorate Police Directorate on Sunday. The directorate’s statement confirmed that the case was referred to the Family and Child Prosecution. This came after the attackers were seen in a video bullying and beating the victim after school hours. The victim was seen helplessly crying and groaning with pain, as the three boys punched him, kicked him and even stomped on him.

Family and Child Prosecution Chief Prosecutor Ahmed Al Ghatam explained in a statement released yesterday that the prosecution was notified about the incident by Hamad Town Southern Police Station on Sunday evening.

Mr Al Ghatam revealed that the notification mentioned that the three children physically assaulted the victim after school hours, while a fourth companion filmed the incident and spread it online. According to Mr Al Ghatam’s statement, the victim’s father lodged a complaint against the attackers after seeing his son being assaulted in the footage which went viral on local social media networks. “The prosecution immediately launched an investigation into the incident, summoned the children and questioned them. They confessed to their crime in the interrogation and they were referred to the Juveniles Court Judge. “The judge ordered to refer them to the Juveniles Care Centre and tasked the Social Care Unit at the Centre to issue reports on their social status,” Mr Al Ghatam added, without unveiling more details

However, the Education Ministry didn’t comment on the incident. The ministry had denied that any bullying cases were reported in Bahrain schools in a statement issued last year. A local daily quoting the ministry last July affirmed that “the ministry has implemented special programmes for students and teachers to combat bullying and curb such occurrences in schools”.