In August, Lynn Franco's son returned home from school for the August holiday limping after being allegedly assaulted by fellow students.
The 17-year-old Form Four student at Anestar Premier High School in Bahati, Nakuru County, was accused of stealing a flash drive, a computer storage device, leading to the attack.
Ms Franco said that her son revealed he was beaten by six students and sustained injuries. Concerned, she took her son to hospital where doctors found injuries to his chest and stomach. The teen was also suffering from severe headaches.
“I took him to the hospital three times. Apparently, after the incident, he was only given painkillers at school. I was concerned since they never bothered to tell me what had transpired. During opening day, I accompanied my son to school for enquiries,” she said in an interview with Nation.Africa.
She says the school principal informed her that the boys responsible for assaulting her son had been suspended towards the end of second term. He also assured her that her son would be safe during third term as he prepared for his final tests, promising that the perpetrators would not be in the school during exam time.
However, a week before exams, Ms Franco's son called her, He sounded frightened. He reported that the boys that beat him had returned to school and were sending him threats through his friends.
Fearing for his safety, he fled the school but later returned after confiding in a teacher who encouraged him to report the matter to the principal. Because the principal was unavailable, he went to the school director who promised to follow up on his concerns.
“Luckily, I received a phone call from the school principal. He asked me to go to the school where I was shown documents the students had signed where they admitted to the assault. They were given conditions to meet by the school but I was not involved in this process,” she said.
Later, the principal informed Ms Franco that the matter would be taken to the police.
She was accompanied by the school administration and they reported the incident to Murunyu police post under OB 04/01/11/2024.
The three accused students were subsequently arrested and detained before their parents were notified the following day. According to Ms Franco, their parents were dismissive and tried to intimidate her.
"I went back to the station the next day but I did not find the boys who had been arrested. I was informed that they had been released and taken out for lunch by their parents. They denied my son's claims and were asked to shake hands. They all went back to school. On Sunday (November 3), my son called to say the situation had worsened,” she said.
Ms Franco says she returned to Murunyu Police Station but an officer dismissed her concerns, saying the students had forgiven each other, and accused her of being stubborn.
She was then referred to the main police station where officers, recognising the seriousness of the case, agreed to accompany her to the school.
“They listened to my son who provided a fuller account of the incident. The officers assured him that the investigation would continue after exams. The officers at Murunyu Police Post recorded the statements from the three boys but my son wasn’t given the chance to complete his. I don’t feel safe with my son in school. I just want justice for him,” she said.
When reached for comment, school director Peter Ngigi explained to Nation.Africa that when the situation escalated, the students involved were detained and taken to the police station. He was under the impression that Ms Franco had decided to drop the charges.
“We have cooperated with the officers. They even came to the school and spoke to the students. When the assault occurred, we informed the mother and reported it to the station. She is the one who withdrew the case,” he said.
However, Ms Franco disputes the claim that she had dropped the case, asserting her ongoing commitment to seeking justice for her son.
The tension between her and the school administration remains, as does her concern for her son’s safety during the critical exam period.
On Thursday, Nakuru County Police Commander Michael Mwaura declined to comment on the case, pending the completion of a medical report form (P3 form) documenting the alleged assault.
