The parents of a boy at the centre of an internal inquiry into a sexual assault allegation have said under the Children First legislation, such allegations should have been immediately reported to Tusla or the Gardaí.
This follows after a school in Tipperary conducted an internal inquiry into a sexual assault allegation, without notifying relevant authorities.
Rockwell College says it didn’t “categorise the wider incident as sexually motivated.”
The Children First Act 2015 introduced mandatory reporting requirements in cases of suspected child abuse, be it physical, sexual, or emotional.
According to the Irish Times, the student in question at Rockwell College was accused of pulling down the underwear of another student and groping his genitals.
The boy admitted to pulling down the other students underwear but claimed it was a joke and he denied groping him.
The allegations were put to him in an interview with the principal and deputy principal, with no parent or guardians present.
Shortly after, the school wrote to his parents informing them of the assault allegation against their son.
The parents said under the Children First legislation, such allegations should have been immediately reported to Tusla or the Gardaí.
The school told the parents of the boy accused of the assault that they did not “categorise the wider incident as sexually motivated.”
