By ANTOINETTE MILIENOS, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 01:10 EDT, 23 September 2025 | Updated: 02:21 EDT, 23 September 2025

A five-year-old girl has allegedly been stabbed in the head by a classmate at a primary school in regional NSW. 

The young girl was allegedly attacked with a pencil at St Philomena’s School in Moree, northern NSW, on September 17. 

The girl’s mother, Eliza, said her daughter was ‘covered in blood’ while and was treated at the school by paramedics. 

Eliza told Daily Mail the school had been very tight-lipped with information about the incident. 

‘Upon my arrival at the school after being informed an ambulance had to be called for my daughter due to a ‘large amount of blood coming from her head’, the staff at the school refused to tell me how she sustained her injury,’ she said. 

‘The school has been unwilling to provide me with any further information relating to this stabbing. 

‘I have no information regarding the stabbing from anyone at the school. The only information I have is what my daughter has been able to tell me herself.’  

Eliza slammed the school for lacking urgency in providing her daughter with support following the incident. 

A five-year-old girl has allegedly been stabbed in the head with a pencil by another student while at St Philomena's School in Moree in regional northern NSW

A five-year-old girl has allegedly been stabbed in the head with a pencil by another student while at St Philomena’s School in Moree in regional northern NSW

She added the school has also minimised the incident by referring to the stabbing as a ‘skin puncture’ in its newsletter published to their internal app on Saturday. 

‘My daughter is an NDIS recipient and we are currently navigating an autism diagnosis. This violence she has suffered has affected her tremendously,’ she said. 

‘She has worked so hard to be able to show up to school despite the extra struggles she faces daily, and she is now frightened to go to school once the child that stabbed her is allowed back. 

‘My biggest fear is that she will become disengaged from school and have her education affected.

‘Never in a million years did I think my five-year-old daughter would experience this in her kindergarten classroom.’ 

Eliza said the school had informed her that the child who allegedly attacked her daughter would be allowed back at school at the beginning of Term 4.  

Armidale Catholic Schools – the parent body for St Philomena’s – said it was aware of the incident and managing the situation.  

The girl's mum told Daily Mail the incident 'traumatised' her daughter and that the school had diminished the severity of the alleged attack

The girl’s mum told Daily Mail the incident ‘traumatised’ her daughter and that the school had diminished the severity of the alleged attack

‘Armidale Catholic Schools is undertaking a review to determine next steps,’ a statement read.

‘This decision will be carefully and thoughtfully made, considering multiple factors and the safety and best interests of all children in our care.’

Armidale Catholic Schools said the child who allegedly stabbed Eliza’s daughter was being ‘kept out’ of school until the school had completed ‘appropriate procedures’.  

‘Armidale Catholic Schools takes its responsibility to all children, families and staff very seriously,’ the statement read. 

‘The safety of our students, staff and the community continues to be our priority.’ 

Share or comment on this article:
Five-year-old girl is allegedly stabbed in the head at St Philomena’s School in Moree