/ 18 September 2008

Two school stabbings in one day

A 15-year-old boy was stabbed at his school in Humansdorp on Thursday — the second such incident in one day, police said.

”The grade-eight boy, from Humansdorp Secondary, Eddie Bosman, was stabbed by a grade-11 pupil, aged 17, on the school premises this morning,” said Eastern Cape police spokesperson Superintendent Priscilla Naidu.

”It is believed that Bosman and his friends were throwing stones at the grade-11 pupil yesterday [Wednesday] … this sparked him to bring a pocket knife to school to get back at them.”

She said a fight broke out on the school grounds, during which Bosman was stabbed three times in his stomach. ”He has suffered a punctured lung, and remains in a critical condition at the Livingstone Hospital.”

Naidu said this was the third such incident at the school since last year.

The 17-year-old was arrested and charged with attempted murder. He was released into his parents’ custody and is expected to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on October 19.

In Gauteng, a pupil at Vlakfontein High School in Mamelodi West was stabbed at the school earlier on Thursday.

”From information received three schoolboys were fighting during a school break around 12pm when one was stabbed with a sharp object,” said Captain Johannes Maheso.

A 16-year-old boy was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Police arrested a 17-year-old pupil and were searching for the third child.

A case of assault had been opened and the pupil was to be released into the care of his parents.

When called for comment, a representative from the school said: ”Leave it alone, no comment.” — Sapa