Gardai in Dundalk are investigating an assault on a schoolboy by another 15-year-old in the same class. The boy's father told gardai his jaw was shattered, his gum was pushed into the roof of his mouth and teeth were broken. He was operated on in a Dublin hospital and is recovering at home.
Both boys are second-year pupils in the De La Salle Brothers school in Dundalk. The school principal, Brother Gregory, confirmed the alleged culprit had been suspended and an internal investigation was under way. He said the incident happened during break-time when no teacher was present in the classroom. A meeting of the school management committee will discuss next week whether to take further action.
The president of the National Parents' Council, Ms Rose Tully, said: "If this was bullying, there should be procedures in place for dealing with both the bully and the victim. I am absolutely astounded this can actually happen." A council member, Mr Nick Killian, said: "It beggars belief that such a thing could happen in a classroom. I have never heard of as vicious an attack within a classroom."