The mother of a five-year-old boy who was reportedly sexually molested at school by his female classmate is hopping mad at the school authorities who, she says, neglected to tell her about the incident until weeks later.

THE STAR was told that during the alleged incident, the boy was approached by the little girl, who unzipped his pants. It is reported that she placed the boy's member into her mouth and then told him to put his mouth on her flesh. The boy, THE STAR was told, made a report to a teacher.

Traumatised and furious, the boy's mother, Delmara Bennett, told THE STAR that she was not made aware of the incident until weeks after, when she went to a parent-teacher meeting and complained about her child being flogged by the school secretary.

She told THE STAR, "If I didn't go to the PTA and speak out, I wouldn't know what is happening. I work near to the school, I drop him off and pick him up every day. I am always there. They have my number and his father's number. They could have contacted us."

Bennett, who is now pregnant with another child, told THE STAR that she always participates in the school's activities and is well known to the administration, so finding her would not have been a problem. She said, "I am upset to know that my child was going through certain things and I don't know. Look what my child was going through. My child is at risk and nothing has been done. It shocked me so much."

pornographic material

Bennett told THE STAR that she was told that the girl had committed a similar act at another school and had been transferred to her son's school. "I just can't understand these schools," she said.

The principal of the Clarendon-based school told THE STAR that it was not a deliberate move to hide the incident from Bennett. She said incidents of that nature happen at the school and many other basic schools quite frequently, and it was hard for administrators to remember everyone. She, however, said Bennett's son had been counselled after the incident. She also said it was customary for parents to be contacted, but said this case "missed" them.

She also told THE STAR that the teachers did not actually witness the incident, but only heard about it from the student. She said parents are often told at PTA meetings of the various improper acts being carried out by some students, and said pornographic material and condoms were often taken from some of the students, who range in age from three to six.

Pyschiatrist Dr Leahcim Semaj said such behaviour from children is evidence of the fact that they live what they learn. He said children often do not understand the symbolism or implications of the things they do, and the best approach for a parent or counsellor to take is to place as little weight on the issue as possible.

He said, "What you need to do is, in a general way, say that is inappropriate behaviour, without creating too much anxiety or excitement, as that may do more harm than good. If you start to label a child, that could have a negative effect." He said if the opposite is done, the children may develop issues with sex in the future.

*Name changed