STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A 12-year-old girl has been charged with assault in connection with the attack of a student after school on Sept. 16, according to a spokesperson for the NYPD.
The arrest comes weeks after the victim, also a 12-year-old girl, was allegedly left beaten on busy Richmond Avenue outside of Richmond Preparatory Charter School in New Springville, where she was a student.
As previously alleged by the victim’s mother, the young girl was threatened, pursued and jumped by another student of the school. Police do not release the identity of minors charged with crimes, and did not specify whether the arrested individual was a student at the school.
The alleged attack on Sept. 16
Rebecca Sullivan, 37, of Great Kills, previously told the Advance/SILive.com that her daughter, a former 7th grade student at Richmond Preparatory Charter School, was surrounded by a group of students during recess and one in particular allegedly issued a threat stating they would beat her after dismissal.
Sullivan claims that school staff failed to act despite her daughter’s report of the encounter.
After school, Sullivan said her daughter went into the Taco Bell next to the school for a water and when she emerged, she was encountered by the group of students.
“And then the one girl who was making the threats at recess ran up behind her, grabbed her by her hair, pulled her to the floor, punching her, kicking her, slapping her all over her body,” Sullivan said. “Then she tightened the grip on my daughter’s hair and dragged her into Richmond Avenue and left her in traffic.”
While unsure why her daughter was targeted, Sullivan explained that she is “different” because she has an individualized education program for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Sullivan, who is a nurse, assessed her daughter’s injuries and the next morning she took her to Northwell Staten Island University Hospital in Prince’s Bay. It’s there that Sullivan filed a report with the police.
As a result of the assault, Sullivan said her daughter sustained rib injuries and “the mental anguish that’s going to carry through the rest of her life.”
“I’m full of rage,” Sullivan previously noted. “This should never happen. No child, no matter what they look like, no matter what disability they have, whatever differences they have — violence is not the answer. We have to teach our kids that we’re all human beings, we all deserve grace.”
Since the attack, Sullivan’s daughter has been transferred out of Richmond Preparatory Charter School to another Staten Island school.
The mom also told the Advance/SILive.com that ever since the assault, her daughter has been paranoid that she will be attacked once again. Following the assault, Sullivan enrolled her daughter in psychiatric therapy.
“We are aware of the incident that occurred and its impact on our students and our community,” an Integration Charter School spokesperson previously said. “We are continuously working to strengthen our core value of community for all students, and we appreciate the support of our families.”
Richmond Preparatory Charter School is an Integration Charter School.
The NYPD did not provide further information regarding the arrest when requested by the Advance/SILive.com.
An Integration Charter School spokesperson was unable to return a request for an updated statement by the time of publication.
Sullivan was unable to return a request for comment on the arrest by the time of publication.
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