Teachers stabbed in school attack struggling to 'comprehend' incident

The father of a 13-year-old girl charged with attempted murder following a south Wales school attack says he learned of the incident via social media – as the teachers injured in the attack issued statements thanking those who came to their aid.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in court earlier today after being charged with three counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following the incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (Aman Valley School).

Teachers Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin and a school pupil suffered grievous injuries in the attack at the school in Ammanford on Wednesday; the teachers have since issued statements on the difficulty they have had ‘comprehending’ the incident.

The father of the girl charged now says it took him hours to find out his daughter was allegedly at the centre of the incident, claiming the school and police did not want to speak to him. He says he found out she was allegedly involved online.

Police are continuing to question a 15-year-old boy in connection with alleged threats made online following the attack. He was arrested at a home nearby and police say they retrieved a BB gun.

Fiona Elias said she had found it difficult to’ comprehend’ the incident at Amman Valley School on Wednesday

Special needs teacher Liz Hopkin, who was also injured in the attack, said she had been ‘overwhelmed by the kindness’ of locals after the incident

Dyffryn Aman School was put into lockdown following the incident, which saw three people incur ‘non-life-threatening injuries’

A forensic scene of crime officer at Amman Valley (Dyffryn Aman) School on Wednesday after a 13-year-old girl was arrested

Pictured: Police outside the school where the attack occurred on Wednesday. A 13-year-old girl has been charged with three counts of attempted murder

Ms Elias and Ms Hopkin have issued statements saying how difficult it is to ‘comprehend’ what happened and thanking emergency services and medics.

The pair of education staff, along with a pupil at the school, suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the attack. Ms Hopkin was airlifted to a hospital in Cardiff for treatment. All three have since been discharged.

Ms Elias, an assistant headteacher at the school, said: ‘From the bottom of my heart, my family and I would like to say a huge thank you for all the messages we have received from far and wide over the past few days.

‘I am deeply indebted to the police, ambulance service, and the NHS staff in Morriston for their excellent care and quick response.

‘Many thanks also to the air ambulance for their excellent care of my colleague, Liz. This is another example of how vital this service is to us in Wales.

READ MORE: Teacher who restrained girl ‘as she stabbed two teachers and a pupil’ at Ammanford school insists he is not a hero

‘Three of us were taken to hospital with injuries, but this incident has had an enormous impact on my colleagues and the wonderful pupils we have at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman.

‘I cannot comprehend what staff and pupils experienced on Wednesday.

‘I would like to thank all members of staff for prioritising the welfare and safety of pupils at the school for four hours, and the pupils for responding so maturely and sensibly in a situation that no one expects to happen.

‘One of our school’s core values is ‘resilience’, and there is no doubt that pupils have demonstrated this value in coping with a situation they should never have experienced.

‘The last few days have shown that there is no other community quite like the Ysgol Dyffryn Aman community, and we will be working to support each other in the coming days and weeks.

‘Many thanks to the parents of the school for their co-operation and understanding at such a difficult time and of course to the wider community and external agencies who have been so willing to support the staff and pupils.

‘I understand that there has been great interest in this incident, but for the benefit of my family, colleagues, and pupils, I now ask for privacy.’

Ms Hopkin, who is an additional learning needs co-ordinator, added: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support shown to me and my family since the incident on Wednesday.

‘I am deeply indebted to all the emergency services for their quick response and for the care provided to me and others who were admitted to hospital.

‘Ysgol Dyffryn Aman is a big part of my life, and it is hard to comprehend that this has happened.

‘However, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our school community for all the support and kind messages that I have received.

‘I have been overwhelmed by the kindness from the close community that we have here.

‘I believe what we need now is time to reflect on what has happened and therefore ask for privacy for the school, myself and my family, so we can take this time to reflect and recover.’

The girl who cannot be named for legal reasons, showed no emotion as she appeared in the dock at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

Speaking only to confirm her name and address, the teenager, who wore a grey jumper, looked small next to the courtroom staff who surrounded her.

She was charged with three counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article on a school premises, and will next appear at Swansea Crown Court on May 24.

District Judge Mark Layton said remanding a 13-year-old into youth justice detention was a ‘difficult decision’ in a hearing that lasted around 20 minutes.

Laura Sherwood, representing the girl, made an application for bail which was refused by the judge. Abigail Jackson appeared for the prosecution.

Pupils at Amman Valley School, also known as Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, in Carmarthenshire, went into lockdown just after 11.20am on Wednesday after the stabbing at the end of morning break.

The school went into lockdown after a ‘code red’ alarm sounded, during which students and staff are said to have hidden in classrooms – with one pupil reportedly vaulting the school fence to get to safety.

The lockdown lasted around four hours between 11.20am and 3.20pm, resulting in an anxious wait for parents who tearfully hugged their children after they walked through the gates.

Dyfed-Powys Police say a 15-year-old boy remains in custody in connection with alleged threats made online in connection with the attack.

Carmarthenshire County Council, meanwhile, says the secondary school will re-open on Monday following the police investigations on site.

Council leader Cllr Darren Price said: ‘As a County Council, we are doing everything that we can to support the community of Ysgol Dyffryn Aman and we have set out a wellbeing support plan to help the pupils and staff.

‘This will be a joint support approach, as we are adopting a collaborative approach to ensure that all individuals affected receive the support they require.

‘This includes coordinating between internal and external resources to provide holistic assistance.’

This is a breaking story – more to follow.

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