Police 'ordered' to arrest girl in teacher assault case

A 13-year-old girl, charged with assaulting and slightly injuring her teacher, yesterday appeared in court under arrest with her lawyer deeming it a "drastic measure" by the police who used the minor as a "public relations instrument".

After hearing submissions by defence counsel and by the prosecution, Magistrate Anthony Vella ruled the arrest was not justified.

The girl sat in the dock with her arms crossed and pleaded not guilty to threatening, assaulting and slightly injuring the teacher at Erin Seracchino Inglott Secondary School, in Cospicua, on Thursday.

She has since been suspended from school.

Defence counsel Joseph Giglio argued that such a case ought to be heard before the Juvenile Court adding that the fact that the girl was arraigned under arrest was an exaggeration.

Furthermore, it did not make sense that the police, who were not in a position to provide adequate security to teachers, reacted in this manner when such an incident took place, he added.

Dr Giglio said he felt that the fact that a 13-year-old girl was taken to court under arrest, accompanied by police officers, was counterproductive.

Although he understood that everyone deserved protection, it was not fair that the prosecution was using the girl as a "public relations' instrument" to convey a message that action was being taken by the police. Transporting the girl to court in a police car was "taking it too far", Dr Giglio argued.

He questioned whether her arrest was justified.

Police Inspector Alexander Grech testified that the alleged incident took place on Thursday at about 1.30 p.m. and the police were informed soon after.

The police did not feel it was appropriate to pick up the girl from school or keep her under arrest overnight. Thus, they called the girl's mother and told her to take her daughter to the police station the following morning which was when the girl was arrested.

Asked what made the police decide to arrest the girl, Inspector Grech replied that, after informing his superiors about the incident, he was instructed to arraign her under arrest. "It was an arrestable offence and the orders were what they were."

On hearing this, the magistrate ruled that the arrest was not justified and ordered the girl's release.

He placed her under a provisional supervision order and ordered the social worker at her school to compile a report on her behaviour over the past months.

After commenting that it would have been appropriate for a school representative to be present in court, the magistrate was told that the school had not been informed about the arraignment.

He assigned the case to be heard by the Juvenile Court on November 28.