[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] A female student found dead in an apartment in Jindo, Jeollanam-do, was revealed to have been suffering from school violence, causing shock, while the school principal's lukewarm attitude is drawing public outrage.
Furthermore, voices have arisen questioning whether this incident could have been prevented if appropriate measures had been taken regarding the school violence reported earlier in June, putting the education authorities' delayed response under scrutiny.
According to the Jeollanam-do Office of Education on the 4th, school violence cases in Jindo over the past three years were 39 in 2019, 26 in 2020, and 35 in 2021.
Among the 35 cases of school violence this year, 20 were confirmed to have occurred at the middle school attended by the deceased girl, A.
As a result, suspicions have been raised that the Jindo Office of Education and the school principal, Mr. B, concealed and downplayed the school violence, drawing criticism from parents.
Principal B denied the cause of the incident, stating, "There was no suspicion of school violence or any disputes," and "The school was completely unaware."
After it was revealed that the female middle school student had been subjected to school violence, he made an absurd claim, saying, "I thought the question was whether there was school violence between the two deceased students."
That is not all. At the school on June 8, there was an incident of school violence where sports club students assaulted friends and extorted money.
At that time, Principal B shifted responsibility to the Jindo Office of Education, saying, "This is not under our jurisdiction. Please inquire with the Education Support Office."
Given this situation, the Jindo Office of Education has been criticized for merely mechanically reading the school violence response manual and taking formal measures rather than providing substantial protection to the victim students, thereby exacerbating school violence.
A family member of a school violence victim said, "Due to the nature of the school, many multicultural children and children from difficult family environments suffered from school violence," and "Each time, Principal B frequently changed his statements to protesting parents and shifted all responsibility to the teachers in charge."
The Jeollanam-do Office of Education and the police are investigating the exact circumstances of the incident through forensic analysis of the deceased students' mobile phones.
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