A few weeks ago, one Mrs. Deborah Okezie took to social media to complain bitterly about how her 11-year-old son – Don Davis – was molested at Deeper Life High School, Uyo.
According to Mrs. Okezie, she had a rather unsettling dream about her son. Hence, she visited him at his boarding school.
After much back and forth with the school authorities, she saw Don Davis. Sadly, her son was a shadow of himself. He looked malnourished and pale.
She made a decision to take him home with her.
Upon getting home, Mrs. Okezie made a Facebook Live video asking her son to explain all that happened to him. In his account, a traumatized Don Davis said that he was repeatedly flogged by one of his teachers and starved for two weeks.
He also gave very graphic details of his molestation by some older boys. When his mother asked him why he did not report to the authorities, Don Davis said that those responsible had threatened to kill him.
The remarkable ineptitude of the school
According to Mrs. Okezie, his teachers noticed that he was walking abnormally but chose not to contact her.
On a day Don Davis was being flogged by a teacher, another teacher had asked whether he was trying to kill the boy. Apparently, the teacher’s response was in the affirmative.
Read Also: Child Abuse in the Name of Discipline
As to why Don Davis was starved, it had something to do with him bed-wetting. He was moved to the senior boys’ dormitory as a form of punishment for this. This was obviously not a viable solution. Instead, it caused more havoc because the boy was bullied and molested there.
Child molestation with children as culprits
The boys who molested Don Davies are about 14/15 years old. These pupils have constituted such disheartening behaviour that needs to be addressed, thrashed, and curbed. If not, they are likely to become nuisances to society.
Don Davis mentioned the names of the culprits. The school should stand up to its obligation and carry out a thorough investigation. More so, Mrs. Okezie stated that the principal pleads with her in private, but makes contrary statements in public.
In addition, the mother of the victim alleges that the Commissioner for Education in Akwa Ibom State harassed her and her son. The Commissioner – Enobong Udemeabasi Mbobo – told Mrs. Okezie to take down the Facebook Live videos because they are ‘disgracing the state’.
No doubt, Mrs. Okezie is one brave woman who deserves justice for her son. This is a fight, not just for Don Davis, but for all children who have suffered molestation at one point or the other.
There are many reasons why parents decide to send their children to boarding school. In making such a serious decision, one key factor is paramount and must not be compromised: safety.
The big question now is, ‘Is boarding school really safe?’ The saga continues.
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