The mum of a teen girl who was viciously kicked in the head by a gang of youths has slammed her daughter's school for failing to notify her about the incident.
The schoolgirl, 15, who had been trying to stop the gang from battering her pal, was left needing brain scans following the violent attack just yards from the entrance of Lochaber High in Fort William.
Shocking video footage emerged of the incident showing a group of feral youths attacking the two young girls on Monday afternoon.
But the mum, who does not wish for her daughter's identity to be shared, told the Daily Record that she only heard about what happened after she was told by another parent.
She said: "I found out when the mum of one of the girls involved called me to apologise. She was driving past when she saw it and ran to stop it. I then called the mum of the other girl who was hurt to tell her that something had happened at the school.
"I tried to call the school on Monday but they wouldn’t tell me anything. I drove down to get my daughter and we went to the police station to report it.
"The school should have phoned me straight away. It's absolutely disgusting. A teacher broke up the fight, but the school never contacted me until Tuesday.
"My daughter even asked them to call me four times after it happened because she lost her phone during the incident."
The worried mum said she believes her daughter is 'lucky to be alive' after the attack and that she had to rush her to hospital after swelling developed on her head.
She added: "I had to take her into the hospital because her head started to swell up at the back. She started feeling dizzy and sick. She could have had a bleed on the brain or anything. We were there until 11pm getting her checked over.
“The hospital staff were just disgusted after they watched the videos to see where she had been hit. I didn't even know it was a gang attack until I saw the videos.
"There were repeated blows to the head. She is lucky to be alive."
The disturbing clip shows the first girl being followed by a large number of pupils before being pushed on to muddy ground. But as she gets up and tries to walk away, her hair is grabbed from behind and she’s pulled back to the floor.
One pupil holds her down while another rains punches down on her head and neck before she’s forcibly kicked in the face by another student in front of a baying crowd. An unidentified liquid is then thrown at the girl as she sits on the floor cradling her head.
The footage also shows the mother who spoke to the Daily Record's daughter as she tries to break up the fight by pulling the culprits away. She is then set upon as the footage shows her being punched on the head and body by a number of female pupils as they grip her by her hair.
Another student is seen repeatedly kicking her in the head. A man, understood to be a teacher, is then seen walking over to the fight saying “Stop it. Come on.”
It is understood the footage is being shared on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.
Police Scotland have confirmed they are investigating reports of an assault and enquiries are ongoing.
The mum said she eventually received a voicemail from the headteacher the day after the attack and has been told that four pupils were suspended.
But she believes that education chiefs and parents need to do more to combat the “gang mentality” that is plaguing the school. She added: “This is happening all the time. This is the second time the same girl has been attacked.
“My daughter only got involved because she tried to pull a couple of girls off her friend. And then the next minute she’s getting jumped on.
“The kids are totally out of control. There’s a gang mentality. It's like something you’d expect in a prison.
“I don’t think any of the parents are doing enough either. I’d be disgusted if it was my daughter doing that.
"My child should be able to go to school and be safe."
A spokesperson for the Highland Council said: “All of our schools takes any complaints about bullying very seriously and follow national policy on dealing with incidents to ensure each school has a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "An investigation is under way following the assault of a 15-year-old girl in Lochaber. The incident occurred around 1.15pm on Monday 19 December, 2022 in Lochyside. Enquiries are ongoing."
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