An irate mother stormed into a classroom and threatened to slit the throat of a 12-year-old girl in a shocking and expletive-filled tirade that was caught on camera. The disturbing footage, filmed at St Paul's College in Gillies Plains, Adelaide, has ignited fierce debate across Australia, with some condemning the mother's actions as violent and unacceptable, while others sympathise with her frustrations over her daughter's alleged bullying.
The footage shows the pregnant mother, who is 20 weeks along, barging into the classroom, yelling threats at a student, while her husband attempts to restrain her. The mother's furious outburst, which included a chilling death threat, left students terrified and parents alarmed, prompting an immediate investigation by South Australia Police.
The Terrifying Outburst
On Monday, the unidentified woman stormed into the classroom, confronting a girl accused of bullying her daughter. Visibly enraged, she hurled expletives at the child as other students watched in fear, and staff desperately tried to intervene.
'You want to f***ing go, b***h? You want to f***ing go?' The mother yells while scared children watch, and the staff struggles to intervene. 'I'm your f***ing worst night, b***h. I'm your worst f***ing nightmare!'
As the terrified children remained frozen in their seats, the confrontation escalated further. The mother then made a chilling threat: 'You ever f***ing mess with my daughter again, I'll slit your f***ing throat! I'll be waiting for you!'
Despite her husband's attempts to pull her out of the room, she continued to hurl insults at the child, before turning her rage towards another student, whom she accused of being 'jealous'.
Following the alarming incident, police confirmed that they were investigating the threats made in the footage. No arrests have been made so far.
A Mother's Tearful Apology
After the video went viral, the mother issued an emotional apology, acknowledging that her actions were unacceptable but insisting that she was pushed to the brink after her daughter's repeated pleas for help were ignored.
'I did everything in my power as a parent, and so did my husband, to make sure our daughter was safe,' she told MailOnline. 'We begged for help. We begged.'
She revealed that her daughter had been subjected to relentless bullying, which had taken a severe toll on her mental health. The final straw, she said, was when a cruel remark was made to her daughter, telling her to "go and hang herself".
'She was crying; she was devastated. I don't want my daughter to be another statistic. I don't want to have to bury my child,' she said, referring to Australia's alarming rise in youth suicides linked to school bullying.
Despite her regret over how she handled the situation, she maintains that the school failed to take proper action.
Authorities Reassure The Public
Concerned parents flooded the school with complaints following the incident, demanding answers on how such an outburst was allowed to occur.
Principal Patrick Harmer reassured families that the school was taking the matter seriously, emphasising its commitment to student safety and well-being.
Meanwhile, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas slammed the mother's actions, calling them "indefensible" and "mind-boggling".
'I don't know what the circumstances were that led the parent to say those things, but whatever they were, they do not justify those remarks in any circumstance whatsoever,' he said.
Despite the outrage, police have not yet pressed charges.
Fellow Parents Rally Behind Distressed Mother
While many have condemned the violent nature of the mother's outburst, others have expressed sympathy towards her, arguing that schools do not take bullying seriously enough.
'Having had my son bullied at primary school, I can completely understand how this mum snapped,' one user wrote online.
'Schools 100% protect the bullies 100% of the time! This is not a sign of a bad parent—this is a sign of a parent at their wit's end dealing with useless school bullying protocols,' another user commented.
Others called for greater accountability from schools, with one parent stating, 'My support for the mother stands. No parent does this unless they have been constantly ignored.'
Australia's Fatal Bullying Problem
The incident has reignited national discussions on bullying in Australian schools, following the tragic death of Charlotte O'Brien, a 12-year-old Sydney girl who took her own life in 2024 after relentless bullying at Santa Sabina College.
Despite multiple complaints from her parents, the school repeatedly dismissed the harassment as "friendship issues". Charlotte's grieving mother later wrote to the school:
'My beautiful girl took her own life last night because of the relentless friendship issues she faced.'
Former students of Santa Sabina College later came forward, accusing the school of minimising serious bullying cases, with one saying:
'They always told us to forgive our bullies, but nothing changed. It was only when our grades slipped that they started paying attention.'
New Laws For Dangerous Parents
Despite the distress caused by the mother's outburst, St Paul's College may now have greater powers to prevent similar incidents, thanks to new legislation introduced in 2024.
The Education and Children's Services Amendment Bill allows school leaders to ban threatening individuals from entering school grounds for up to six months, double the previous limit. Additionally, fines for violating these bans have tripled from £1,300 to £4,000 ($2,500 to $7,500).
Premier Malinauskas defended the law, stating that schools must remain safe spaces, free from violence and intimidation.
However, it remains unclear whether the Adelaide mother will face such a ban under the new policy.
While the footage of her tirade has left many appalled, it has also reignited debates over how bullying is handled in Australian schools. Should parents have to resort to desperate measures to protect their children? Or is the failure of schools to properly address bullying what truly needs scrutiny?
