- Chrisland School breaks silence on sex scandal involving pupils
Authorities of Chrisland School in Lagos have finally reacted to the sex tape scandal involving its students in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
A woman had earlier claimed that her 10-year-old daughter was raped during a trip to Dubai which was organised by the Lagos school.
Pupils from the private school located in Victoria Garden City, Lagos were in the UAE to participate in the World School Games between March 10 and 13, 2022.
But in the now-viral video, the pupil’s mother claimed that graphic footage of the incident has been distributed on social media platforms.
The state’s ministry of education had earlier ordered the closure of the school and warned the general public against circulating the minors’ footage.
In a statement by Akin Fadeyi, member of Chrisland advisory board, the school said no rape or pregnancy test was carried out on any of the pupils as widely claimed.
According to TheCable, the statement also countered that there was no rape involved in the infamous sex scandal.
It reported| “We are proud to reassure our stakeholders that no rape of anyone or the administration of a pregnancy test on any child took place on our watch,” he said.
“For emphasis, only a COVID post travel test was conducted on the returning delegation of our students, in compliance with COVID-19 travel protocols, at the Life Centre Medical Services on March 21, 2022 at School Hall, Opebi.
“This was through the nose swab test as consistent with COVID-19 health protocols. We trust that this can be verified at the source provided. To insinuate that a pregnancy test was carried out on a student, for whatever reason therefore, is a highly unfortunate conjecture.”
Fadeyi said 76 students had been enlisted for the Dubai trip, while 71 of that figure had abided by its code of conduct.
The board member also said male and female pupils had been kept seven floors apart in the hotel where they lodged in Dubai.
Fadeyi disclosed that disciplinary actions had been dealt against the remaining five pupils who flouted its pre-set rules.
“We took a critical view of the number of students who partook in this recent trip and who did the school proud in our quest to expand the horizons of our students holistically through global exposure,” the statement read.
“[This] takes into account a wholesome development of the mind, body, and spirit through sporting engagements.
“Of the 76 children who represented Chrisland, 71 ensured an untainted adherence to our standards, abiding with laid down regulations and code of conduct, while doing us very proud in the process.
“Within these 71, we kept our girls on the 11th floor and Boys on the 4th floor to draw clear lines that respect moral boundaries.
“We were, however, compelled to engage with the parents of the remaining students who unfortunately got themselves involved in misconduct.
“In accordance with our code of conduct processes, which are well known to the parents, we meted out measured reprimands to them to instill a sense of discipline and as deterrence to others.
“This was also to caution our students on the need to remain on the path of resisting wrong influences.”
Fadeyi said efforts are in place to provide psychosocial support for all the students who embarked on the trip.
“We assure the public that our first approach as an institution was to assume parental roles by offering support to those involved and ensuring that nothing affected their senses of esteem,” he added.
“We cannot help but express how scandalised and distressed we feel as mothers, fathers, and instructors with a relationship that holds a direct bearing on the development of those involved.
“While we hasten to affirm that, as an institution that is managing children from diverse backgrounds, we cannot lay claim to, or embark on any sense of self-righteousness in our approach.
“But we learn and evolve within the frames of best practices every single day.
“We are committed to re-evaluating our processes to reinforce child protection protocols, even as we shall leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the senses of the esteem of the children involved are uncompromisingly preserved.
“We have activated child protection processes and shall be engaging the expertise of child psychologists to ensure we translate this incidence to benefit the children in our care.”
Earlier, the mother of a pupil of the school had given graphic details of how her daughter was allegedly assaulted by her male schoolmates during the incident which occurred in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
She said her teenage daughter was lured into the illicit act after one of the boys drugged her during a trip to Dubai organised by the school.
In a video on Instagram, the mother explained how the male students lured her daughter into the room.
According to the woman: “After breakfast, one of the boys, Kachi, came to beg her for her phone charger. (Later) After dinner, Kachi called her room that she should come and take her charger.
“She went there for her charger. When she got into the room, one of them said she should take her charger from the toilet.
“They hijacked her and told her to take a substance, so they were all under the influence. She said after that, she did not know what she was doing again.
“They told her to be climbing them and someone stood there videoing and posting it out.”
The mother accused Chrisland’s management of threatening her daughter to cover the incident.
“About a month ago, I was on my way out of Lagos when I got a call from Mrs Azike, the Head Teacher of Chrisland.
“I went two days later. When I got to the school, I met her with two women in her office.
“One introduced herself as Mrs Kemi. They said they came from Chrisland headquarters. I said ‘Okay’. I asked if there was a problem, they said ‘No’
“That they just wanted me to know that my daughter whom I left in their care, that they took to Dubai kissed a boy and the boy kissed her. That it was from truth and dare.
“They said I should take it from her so they won’t keep practicing that. I said I’ll do that and asked if there’s something else and they said ‘No’. Mrs Kemi told me not to tell my husband.
“I left but they took my daughter elsewhere to interrogate her without my consent. They’ve been threatening that if she speaks out, they are going to kill her. That’s it is a men’s world and she shouldn’t disclose it to me.
“My daughter was dying in silence I didn’t know. They took her to go and do a pregnancy test and lied it was a COVID test, almost three times.
“Because we have started confronting them that we are aware of what they did, the school sent her a suspension letter,” she said in tears.
