As many as 15 pupils at King’s Hospital school in west Dublin crowded into a four-bedroom dormitory on the night of November 24th as, it is alleged, a 13-year-old boy was sexually assaulted with a hockey stick.

According to one of the eight boys suspended from the school since the alleged incident, the 13-year-old was bear-hugged onto a bed by one boy and had his pants taken down by another.

Subsequently, in an account given by the suspended boy, a hockey stick was taken out and three pupils separately touched the 13-year-old’s coccyx/tailbone with it before he was given a choice of having it inserted into his body or agreeing to fight another boy.

He chose to fight. Watches were removed and, as it was put, the two boys began grappling with one another. Soon they had their hands around each other’s necks. Another boy had a phone and he was told to film the fight. At least three others present took out their phones and began filming as well.

It is claimed that the hockey stick assaults were not filmed.

The fight fizzled out and the group dispersed, leaving the 13-year-old and the other three who slept there in the dormitory.

Handed in phones

On the following Tuesday afternoon the school authorities ordered that the phones be handed in. By then eight of those who allegedly took part in the incident were suspended, one of whom has decided he is not be returning to King’s Hospital.

On September 13th, King’s Hospital headmaster John Rafter told the school’s parents’ association that “the new policy with regard to mobile phones for 1st- to 3rd-year boarders was to have them hand up their phones at night”.