A Perth high school girl who allegedly stabbed her teacher on Monday has been charged with plotting with another teenager to allegedly kill the educator.
Police alleged the 14-year-old girl received a knife from a 13-year-old girl at Willetton Senior High School on Monday morning and used it to stab the teacher, a Year 8 coordinator in her 50s.
The injured woman suffered a minor wound to her left armpit and was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital for treatment. She was later discharged.
The 14-year-old then fled the school grounds after the incident. But was later arrested by police in Willetton later the same day.
The 13-year-old girl was taken into custody when officers arrived at the school.
Police allege the teenage girls exchanged messages online for more than two weeks preceding the attack, which related to “talking about and planning to kill a teacher.”
Both students were charged with attempting to unlawfully kill and are due to face Perth Children’s Court on Tuesday.
The stabbing occurred during recess in the student services block, an area where people go for support and counselling during school time.
One student, Jazmine Lin Wooden, told 9news.com.au she saw blood on the floor.
“She’s my brother’s year coordinator. She’s always been nice; she’s always been one of the teachers you can talk to, so I can’t really understand what’s happened,” she said.
“I messaged my sister, and she was like ‘yeah, someone got stabbed’. I’m scared. The teacher said to lock the door and everything.”
Surrounding primary schools Burrendah and Castlereagh were locked down as a precaution.
State School Teachers’ Union of WA president Pat Byrne said she was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.
“Every teacher should be able to go to work confident that they will be safe from harm,” she said.
“This incident is a reminder of the dangers teachers face and the need for constant improvements around safety in schools.”
Willetton SHS principal Trevor Hunter sent an email to parents addressing the attack about four hours later, just before school ended.
“The incident occurred at recess, and as a precaution, all students were kept in their classrooms for a brief period,” the email read.
“The school and administration staff acted immediately to ensure students were kept away from the situation.
“At no time were any students in danger,” he said.
Worried parents took to social media after receiving text messages from their children who were placed in lockdown at the school.
“It was a little worrying getting a text from my daughter this morning of her in a classroom, with all the lights off, having to keep quiet,” one mum wrote.
“Definitely an experience for both my kids. Hopefully, one they don’t have to go through again.”
