A young schoolgirl was forced to share a classroom with the boy who allegedly raped her with fellow pupils knowing about her horrific ordeal.
The girl’s mother, who has not been named, spoke anonymously about what happened to her daughter and said it was a ‘terrible thing to do to a rape victim’.
The accused boy was arrested and bailed by police and ended up going back to school the next day while officers continued their investigation.
Her mother, who spoke on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show wearing a wig and with her back to the camera to hide her identity, said the situation was ‘awful’ for her daughter.
The girl’s mother revealed that her the boy accused of raping her daughter was back in her class the day after being released on bail
Her mother spoke on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show wearing a wig and with her back to the camera to hide her identity
She told the show: ‘My daughter was raped by a lad from her school. He was arrested by the police and interviewed and released on police bail.
‘The day after the arrest he came back into school and was put back into his normal lessons.
‘And she was expected to be OK with the fact she was in a room with a lad that had raped her.’
She added: ‘Somebody who’s been raped is already in a terrible place, but to be expected to be back in the same space as the rapist is just terrible.
‘It’s re-traumatising – it’s just a terrible thing to do to a rape victim.’
The mother, who used a fake name Rachel, added that her daughter’s anonymity was compromised which made her time at school extremely difficult.
She said: ‘Being in the same classroom as the person that’s raped you is difficult enough, but when people in that room know what’s happened and they’re watching how you cope being in the same room as the rapist – that’s just awful.
‘It’s a whole extra layer of stress, knowing that these people are watching you – it’s just vile. It’s voyeurism gone mad.’
It is not known where the school is, or whether it is a secondary or primary school.
The mother, who used a fake name Rachel, added that her daughter’s anonymity was compromised which made her time at school extremely difficult
Rachel added that the school did not seem to have a sufficient policy in place to deal with the situation
Rachel added that the school did not seem to have a sufficient policy in place to deal with the situation.
It comes as the government said it is producing guidelines for British schools to stop children sharing classes with pupils who have sexually assaulted them.
She said: ‘They were very keen to protect his right to an education, but seemed to give no consideration at all to her rights as a rape victim and somehow or other they just didn’t understand what it would do to a rape victim to be expected to be in the same space as the rapist.’
The mother revealed that the guidance provided on the Department for Education website does not sufficiently cover if the perpetrator is a fellow pupil.
She said: ‘I believe strongly that it’s time the government stepped up and provided as much guidance as they provide when the perpetrator is an adult, because it’s just as complicated.’
Robert Goodwill, Minister for Children and Families, told the BBC: ‘Statutory safeguarding guidance is clear that schools should have an effective child protection policy that addresses peer-on-peer abuse.
‘This should include procedures to minimise it along with advice on how allegations will be dealt with and how victims will be supported.
‘We are considering what more can be done to assist schools and we listen to the views of stakeholders and experts when updating our safeguarding guidance.’