Christchurch high school students to leave school following video of assault
Friday, 9 August 2024
A group of Christchurch Boys’ High School students will no longer be enrolled at the school following a video of a man being assaulted and made to eat pet food outside a McDonald’s.
Christchurch Boys’ High School principal Nic Hill said there was ‘no moral conviction’ to what the group did.
The students were across a range of year levels.
A group of Christchurch Boys’ High School students will no longer be enrolled at the school following a video of a man being assaulted and made to eat pet food outside a McDonald’s.
The video, which was posted last Tuesday, shows a man being confronted by a group of boys at McDonald’s on Riccarton Rd, Christchurch.
In the video, the man is punched and kicked in the head and is made to eat pet food.
It’s believed the video was filmed last week. At least one of the students can be seen with the Christchurch Boys’ High School uniform.
Christchurch Boys’ High School headmaster Nic Hill told Stuff on Friday that at least four students will no longer be enrolled at the school “as a result of the investigation and disciplinary process”. The students were across a range of year levels, he said.
What happened was not vigilante justice, Hill said.
'There's no moral conviction to what they're doing. Sadly, there are people on the internet who are trying to seek the limelight.
'They are deliberately following a social media trend… that's not vigilante justice. There’s no moral justification. The motivation is to seek the limelight.“
He understood police had “made contact” with the man who was assaulted.
Hill earlier said there was “no place for this behaviour”.
“It’s a sad reflection of society. There’s no excuse or justification for any of this,” he said.
“We’ve involved police, and we’ve informed parents we’re doing an investigation.”
Police confirmed in a statement that the investigation into the matter is ongoing and no charges have been laid at this time.
“A local high school has been assisting with our enquiries and we have identified a number of the people involved,” the statement said.
“The victim is being provided with support.”
A McDonald’s spokesperson said they were aware of an incident that occurred outside the Riccarton restaurant involving members of the public.
“The franchisee has talked with police and the local school, and is supporting the investigation,” the spokesperson said.
If anyone has information regarding this matter, they can contact police via 105 and quote the file number 240727/7976.