A Welsh secondary school has moved to reassure parents after a video showing schoolgirls fighting went viral on social media. The short clip shows a number of people - predominantly four girls - involved in a brawl at Coedcae School in Llanelli, with multiple punches being thrown and pupils’ hair being pulled.
The incident actually took place on Tuesday, March 5, but the video was posted online on Monday (March 18) and has since been shared hundreds of times. The fighting takes place within the school grounds and just yards from the school building itself. At one point at least two of the girls are on the floor, and in a disturbing section at the end of the clip one girl repeatedly hits another to the top and back of the head. You can keep up to date with the latest Carmarthenshire news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
Following the incident, claims were shared by a group on social media that suggested 'a gang of Syrian girls' were targeting other girls. The group which shared the claims has previously been criticised by politicians for spreading 'foul ideas and words', hosting guests from far right organisations on its broadcasts, and had its channel removed from YouTube for breaching terms of service following multiple complaints of 'hateful or abusive content'.
But the group's claims have also been shared by others, leading to some concern in the local area. A school leader, however, said the claims about a 'gang of Syrian girls' were not true. David Darkin, who is leader of Llanelli Town Council as well as being on the board of governors at Coedcae School, posted a public message on his Facebook page on Tuesday and said: “No Syrians were involved in the incident.”
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Police were not called to the scene of the fight and no arrests have been made in connection with the incident. The school itself said it was taking the incident very seriously and continued to do so, but was treating it as a disciplinary issue concerning a fight between pupils, and not a racially related one. The headteacher of Coedcae School - clearly aware of the allegations made online - asked people not to speculate further on the incident. Want less ads? Download WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android.
“I have become aware of a video that is circulating on social media showing a fight on the school grounds,” said Mrs Tracy Senchal. “I would like to reassure parents, carers and governors that this was an unprecedented incident and that the fight was dealt with immediately by school staff, within the school’s behavioural policy.
“As a school, we are careful not to dismiss this incident. We have implemented the school’s behavioural policy, fairly, and as a result, two pupils were excluded. Follow-up actions are being implemented. Whilst the circulation of the video on social media is out of my control, unfortunately, I would kindly ask that we all refrain from speculating on the incident.”
Coedcae School is one of five secondary schools in Llanelli and is located in the Trostre area of the town. It dates back more than 120 years and currently has more than 800 pupils aged between 11 and 16. According to an inspection carried out by Estyn - the education and training inspectorate for Wales - in February, 2023: “The school responds promptly and thoroughly to any concerns and works proactively with external agencies to support pupils’ well-being. This contributes to most pupils feeling safe and free from bullying.”
