Latest News
Student ‘traumatised’ after being knocked unconscious at Mount Roskill Grammar School
A 16-year-old student got knocked out by another teenager at an Auckland school on Friday afternoon.
The incident happened at Mount Roskill Grammar School, and was filmed by a student that gathered around the fight.
In the video, a group of teenagers could be seen in what appeared to be one of the school’s corridors.
Sean* seemed to be talking to another student when a third young man approached the scene and punched Sean in the face, knocking him unconscious.
Sean’s brother said the family received a call from the school around 2pm on Friday.
“The school called one of my older siblings, who is taking care of my brother and they told them that he had been bullied and punched at school.
“When we went there, it was worse than that. He was a knocked out, on the ground.”
When the family got there, he said Sean was being looked after by the school nurse.
“He seemed confused, lost. The school then told us we needed to take him somewhere that takes people urgently.”
A screengrab from the video shows a group of students talking just before the incident happened. Photo: Supplied to RNZ
Sean’s brother said the family took his brother to Three Kings Accident & Medical Clinic to get seen by a doctor.
“We had to carry him. The school didn’t call the police, didn’t call the ambulance. They said they had no idea what happened.”
After he was seen by a doctor in the emergency clinic, Sean went back home with his family.
“We took him home and he was resting and taking his medicine, but started to get worse,” his brother said.
He said the family then decided to contact the police about the incident.
“I believe the school talked to them [the police]; because when I called, they said they knew about the incident.”
“They [the police] said they were working on it, but for now they just needed us to take my brother to the hospital.”
Sean was then transferred to Auckland City Hospital in an ambulance and spent the night under observation.
“My and my family spent the night at the hospital with him,” the brother said.
“He was really tired, really cold, really stressed. He got hit in both sides of the head and twisted his legs. He is traumatised.”
Sean’s family is originally from Syria and arrived in New Zealand four years ago.
Sean’s brother said last year, after a fight with other students, one of his other siblings who used to attend Mount Roskill Grammar school got expelled.
Since then, he and his brother had been feeling alone at school, but he had never mentioned any problems with other students.
“[Sean] and my other brother used to hang out a lot, but since they kicked my brother out [of Mount Roskill Grammar School], Sean has been feeling lonely.”
“My brother is a peaceful guy, and that other kid came out of nowhere. [Sean] doesn’t even know who is that other kid,” he said.
“We have no idea why, [Sean] has no idea why [he got assaulted].”
He said his family is concerned for Sean’s wellbeing at school.
“My parents are really sad about it. My mum was crying yesterday the whole day and my dad, he is old, it was really hard to tell him.
“All of us are really uncomfortable with this. We saw him on the floor, he couldn’t talk, his eyes weren’t fully open. It was cruel.”
He said the family has not heard from the school about the incident since they were called when it happened.
They had not called to check on his condition, the brother said.
“The school didn’t give us any support. We haven’t heard from them since my brother was punched.
“They should have been the ones calling the ambulance, not us. My brother was under their responsibility.”
He said the person who hit his brother “for no reason” needed to be punished.
“He doesn’t know him; he came out of nowhere. He should either be kicked out or dealt with.
“[Sean] is scared. He is not talking to anyone at the moment, he doesn’t want to talk. Who knows if he will actually be able to go back to school.”
RNZ put the allegations from the student’s family to Mount Roskill Grammar School’s board chair Marjet Pot.
Over the phone, Pot said the school had no comment about the incident.
Through a statement, police confirmed it received a report of an assault on Friday afternoon and were making inquiries.
*Student’s name was changed to protect privacy
SOURCE RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
rnz
Police say person who fired gun at officers still at large
New Zealand sides named for RLWC finals
Parliamentary Service working on extra chairs and offices for increased number of MPs
-
Latest News2 months ago‘Chilling’: Business groups speak out against National’s supermarket break-up plan
-
NZ News2 months agoTom Phillips report: The missed opportunities to find the children
-
Latest News2 months agoCars bearing Chinese police markings stir unease in Auckland
-
Politics2 months agoNational vows to try to split Pak’nSave and New World
-
Fiji News2 months agoPlans to have new Constitution by Dec 24th 2026
-
NZ News2 months agoCop who stole $68,000 can now be named as champion Muay Thai fighter Haimona Tamati-Te Paki
-
Politics2 months agoMBIE confirms botched biometric projects costs blown out to $50.7 million
-
Latest News2 months agoFive Karangahape Road venues lose their liquor licences after police intervention