Offside: little rascals
It’s a topsy-turvy world, all right, when a football hooligan at last week’s match between Benfica and Anderlecht turns out to be a Brussels police officer, and when a couple of young hooligans involved in fisticuffs in a Flemish school turn out to be three-year-olds
Little rascals
The mother of the slightly younger child claims he was set upon by the older child. The school, located in Genk, is remaining impartial. “The teacher and the co-ordinator brought both children in immediately and reprimanded them for their behaviour,” the school said in a statement. “The injured child was cared for, and the parents informed, as was the Centre for Pupil Support. This is the normal procedure for our school.”
The parent argues that the school is “minimalising” the dispute by refusing a dialogue and issuing only a brief statement. Her child was bitten three times, she told VRT News, and had his hair pulled out. Photos taken shortly after the incident appear to support these claims. The mother has now, on the advice of her family doctor, filed a report with the police.
Much to the chagrin of Willy Bombeek, spokesman for the Catholic education network. “Can children be allowed to play freely on the playground?,” he asked. “Sometimes children fight. That’s normal behaviour for young children. They’re learning to get along with each other and setting limits.”
“I know that children sometimes have fights on the playground,” the mother said. “But this has gone a lot further. The worst part is that the school’s head is playing down this aggression and hasn’t even taken the trouble to talk to me.”
The parents of the other child involved in the incident haven’t made any public statements.
About the author
