After he was allegedly punched by another kid while playing at a school in Melbourne’s southeast earlier this month, a seven-year-old boy had a serious brain injury.
After the alleged attack on October 17 at St. John Vianney’s Primary School in Mulgrave between him and another Grade One student, Jayden Pham was put into an induced coma.
His parents have stated that there ought to have been greater staff supervision on school property, even though the school called them to let them know of the original altercation.
“He started hitting me in the head and that hurt me quite a lot,” Jayden stated to. “I got up as the bell rang, and he punched me in the chin, which caused my tooth to fall out. The pain was mild.”
When Jayden went to staff for assistance following the alleged attack, they called his parents and reported that he had been punched once and had a damaged tooth.
“My friend told the teacher when the bell rang,” he stated. The seven-year-old informed his parents that he was experiencing excruciating headache pain four days later.
His mother Julie Pham claimed, “He was in really bad pain, crying the whole night and vomiting.” Jayden had internal bleeding and was sent to the hospital, where he had emergency brain surgery.
His parents claim they have been let down by the school, claiming that neither an adult nor a teacher saw the incident.
Paul Pham, his father, stated, “The teacher has a duty of protection because we trust the school to protect our children.” According to Andrew Mullaly, principal of St. John Vianney’s Primary School, student safety is their first priority.
He issued a statement saying, “We take our responsibilities extremely seriously.” “Violence and bullying of any kind are never permitted under our explicit rules and procedures.
Unfortunately, in the days after a playground altercation between two Year 1 pupils, one of our students’ health has seriously declined.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this student and family.”
Mullaly stated that when staff members looked into the matter, they discovered that the student had been struck by another student after getting into a fight over a soccer match.
“The student was assessed by a first-aid qualified staff member,” he stated. “The event was reported to the parents of both students.
“The student showed no outward indications of the severe and worrisome medical problems that had since surfaced when she returned to class and in the days that followed.
“We will continue to offer full support to the family.” But according to his parents, who are supported by attorneys, there ought to have been more oversight.
According to Arnold Thomas and Becker Senior Associate Jennifer Lay, the school did not give the pupils the proper supervision.
“These injuries are life-changing and are likely to impact him long term,” she stated.
“It has been denied that the child’s current situation is unrelated to what transpired on the school property.
“We understand there were no teachers present at the time of the incident.”
Jayden will be freed from hospital in the coming days but he has a long road to health.
“The anguish and agony Jayden has endured. “I hope no parent experiences what (he has) gone through,” Mr. Pham remarked.
