An Aberdeenshire special needs school worker has been found guilty of assaulting a vulnerable autistic child.
Wannette Mundie, 51, formerly a pupil support assistant, had denied allegations she grabbed the child but was found guilty following a two-day trial last month at Peterhead Sheriff Court.
The child – who cannot be named for legal reasons – is severely autistic and non-verbal and was aged eight at the time of the assault, which happened whilst at school.
The parents of the little girl spoke to The Press and Journal following Mundie’s sentencing and said they were “glad” that the pupil support assistant would “not be able to hurt any more children”.
The father explained that his daughter came home from the school – which cannot be named for legal reasons – “with arms covered in bruises”.
Although she is not able to speak, she can still communicate with people, the dad explained.
He said: “She can tell us what she wants and uses Makaton to some extent. We also can communicate through facial expressions and using an iPad.”
The couple immediately contacted the school to report the assault.
The dad said: “We were told the school would look into it and when we went in the following day the person had already been suspended. So, they clearly knew who it was.
“We were promised a full investigation, but we contacted the police ourselves eventually as we knew the school had not reported it.
“The police took statements and we were told that there were seven or eight people who could pinpoint exactly when it had happened and that it had been at the end of lunchtime.
“We heard in court that the other teachers in the playground had heard a scream – and they knew straight away it was a ‘sore scream’”.
When the child was asked what had happened by their class teacher, they had pointed out Mundie on the staff photo board, the father said.
“During the trial, the defence solicitor was trying to make out [our child] was prone to sitting in a corner rocking back and forth”, the father went on. “But [our child] pointed her out twice.”
He said his daughter had “loved” going to school prior to the incident but had become “more restless” in the months following the attack.
‘She has been in a very dark place’
Defence counsel, Stuart Flowerdew, told the court that Mundie’s self-respect had been “torn away from her” and that she had been working within the Aberdeenshire Council special needs school for the last 23 years.
He said: “First of all she was suspended, and now she is receiving treatment from her GP and has been in a very dark place.
“I do not want to detract away from the parents of the child, and what they have been through. But she has never been investigated before or had any disciplinary matter.
“This has been emotionally difficult.”
Sheriff Christine McCrossan said on sentencing Mundie to 120 hours of unpaid work: “She has suffered much more outside this court, more than anything I can impose.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “We are aware that a former employee has been found guilty of assault on a pupil.
“The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and colleagues is our first priority and any concerns raised with us are properly investigated, alongside appropriate partners where necessary.
“Throughout the case, we have supported the family and cooperated fully with Police Scotland.”
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