These attackers should be in custody, not back at school. This is a prime example of why violent crime is out of control in the U:K.

p alan, Albir, Spain

Judy from Liverpool: 'no smoke' eh? That's what I'll say if you experience a savage beating in the street. I'll say 'Judy must have done something to deserve this'. And you can reflect on these generous sentiments while your nose is being rebuilt in hospital.

Dectora, London, UK

How can the Headmaster/Headmistress and Governors of this school sleep at night!?

Paul Grayson, Ely, Cambs

Bullies who go beyond limits must be arrested and punished. What are the police doing? They are young felons and deserve to be penalized or sent to correction centers.
Mathew Panamkat

Mathew Panamkat, New Delhi, Delhi, India

i am sickened and appalled by what i have just seen and read. i have a 14 year old daughter myself and my heart goes out to bethany.. bless her and her family. i would be devastated if that would have happened to my own daughter. my message to you bethany if you are reading this is to stay positive, strong and focussed on your life and hopefully these two will pay the consequences for their actions and justice will prevail. don't let two girls' thoughtless actions allow you to become negative. these girls lead very sad lives to have been able to carry out such a horrendous attack on another human being. unfortunately it happens too often in the society we live. very sad.
cheryl, devon

cheryl, devon,

Bullying isn't just found in English culture, the French have been known to bully themselves and I believe Dennis the Menace is American isn't he? Regardless, bullying has been going on for hundreds of years but has only gotten so violent recently. This violence is a direct result of what kids hear on the hip hop songs day in and day out. The black rap scene is based on violence and sex. If you care about your children, you won't allow them to listen to this trash.

Robert Moon, Great Yarmouth, UK

>graphically illustrates the problem of school bullying.
No, it illustrates the problem of violent criminal assault.
Calling this "bullying" is to reduce it to the status of some childish prank, it is not, it is criminal.

It's not up to the school to police this level of criminality, it's clearly the job of the police and the courts.

JonB, Glasgow, UK

As an ex-school teacher, I found it increasingly difficult to explain to victims of bullying (as per school guidelines in their bullying beahaviour policy) that they should just turn the other cheek and report the incident to the Head or another responsible adult. I was bullied at school. This soon stopped after I retalliated in kind towards the older boy in question in front of his mates. It became harder and harder to explain to aggreived parents that their child, a victim of bullying behaviour, was also in the wrong for hitting back.

Simon, Lyon, France

The article says "After the attack, Bethany returned to school but was put into an isolation unit."
Why did they not put the aggressive criminals into isolation?
To put the victim in isolation is like saying that she can't look after herself and needs protection. Which she obviously did. So does this suggest the whole class are bullies? Or is the whole school full of bullies hence the need to isolate Bethany? Or are bullies an 'isolated case' - if bullies are an 'isolated case' , why not put the bullies into isolation until a remedy can be sought? There's more here than meets the eye one would have thought!

Tarni, London, UK

And teachers moan that people have no respect for them.

OS, Poole, Dorset

My every sympathy goes to this girl and her family. I can imagine their distress when they saw their child in that state.

I cannot believe that the school has taken no action against the girls who carried out this attack. As a parent I wouldn't want these girls anywhere near my child.

Martin, Reading, UK

This is just one of many reason my wife and I homeschool our daughter. I hated high school due to bullys and saw kids who stood up to bullies end up looking like Bethany.

Paul Poolee, Cashiers, USA/ NC

Its a clear case of assult but the PC tree huggers will rush to the defense of the criminals and say its not their fault and it will end up with the bullies allowed to go back to the school and carry on beating up anyone they want since they KNOW that nothing will be done about it. The poor girl will end up leaving school moving areas and be in fear for the rest of her life as the authorities can not be trusted to protect her. Congratulations to the Polictical Correctness cause advocates you must be proud!!

charlie, Gisborne,

I don't understand why the two offending girls were not properly stopped, i.e. why the two men who intervened seem then to have left the premises, allowing the beating to resume. They should have stayed there, called the police, and then waited, while instructing passers-by to give first aid and call paramedics. Why, also, did the other girls not think of requesting assistance from passers-by, from the manager of the video store, why they seem to have left the premises? Another possibility would have been for the other girls to fight back. A third possibility for the two men who showed up would have been to slap the offending girls a few times to bring them to their senses. There seems to have been a lot of weak-willed and/or irresponsible people here. Finally, I would like to know the severity of the punishment these girls will face. Only very stiff sentencing for that kind of "dirty fighting" will make it go down. But it seems to be accepted in contemporary Britain.

Edward Christie, Vienna, Austria,

If the people of Britain won't begin to respect things once more themselves then it is the government's responsibility to force them. The strictest of punishments, short of savagery, are needed. The attackers' parents need to be publicly named and disgraced, and tough punishments meted out. The law must seek to rehabilitate, but first it must seek to deter and it is failing on both of those counts.

Britain is not a society that I for one wish to live in, and that is why I no longer do. Between a minority of the population and petty, pathetic governmental liberal inaction a nation has been produced which is forcing good people out.

Mike, Jubail, Saudi Arabia,

This is NOT something that has happened just lately, It has been going on in our schools, all over the world, for years. I remember it occuring in the 50s and 60s when I was in school. As long as you are "in the click", such as sports, kids with parents who are friends of the school's faculty or have money and power can do what they want to whom they want and the so-called teachers will defend them. These brats should,,,no,,,must be made an example of and punished severly. The faculty of the school must be held personally responsible, not the tax payers who pay for the schools, and the bullies must be expelled at the first sign of trouble that can be proven to be hostile. These criminals will only go on the attack others if not stopped in school. This is where the majority of our criminals learn their craft.

Herman, Seguin, USA Texas

i notice nobody called the police!!!!

terry kates, lincoln,

This is not bullying but assault. If politically correct schools still have assemblies I would like the Heads to take this opportunity , using blown up photographs, to make graphically clear to pupils that at 15 these girls are criminally responsible and will be charged accordingly. Loss of consciousness, cuts and bruises should make that assault occasioning bodily harm liable to a prison sentence and/or hefty fine . Schools have an important role to play; nice girls don't suddenly turn nasty outside the school gates and it's about time schools started actually implementing the bullying policies they have in place.

Alexis Barrett, Leeds, England

The school should not have any choice in the matter. The bullies should be in police custody. A good punishment for them would be caning, like they do in Singapore.

Jim, Dubuque, IA (USA)

Why on earth was the victim put into an isolation unit? what had she done wrong to be so segregated? Given how many people were involved there should be no doubt as to who the attackers were so throw the book at them, there's absolutely NO excuse for this terrorism.

Joan, Chelmsford, UK

When we lost the cane, we lost the war.

Wouldn't you give up some of your human rights if it meant bullies got a taste of their own medicine ?

I was at school during the banning of the cane, with 1,500 pupils we had perhaps 2 or 3 bullies in the whole school, the next year when punishment was just being told not to do it again, we had over 100 bullies as there was no longer any real consquences for your actions.

Victim, London, UK

As I have always maintained, when a child is bullied, simply ratchet up the whole process and report it to the police. It is an "assault" if harm is threatened; a "battery" if a finger is laid on the victim. Meeting with the criminal justice system has a way of getting everyone's attention - even young hoodlums.

Annie, Cambridge, UK

What happened to our societies? Is it lack of parental control or lack of morals, or our so-called celebrities influence?

In the USA, schools are teaching things that should be taught by parents, most parents are AWOL, with working 2 jobs or more.

We were put here with intelligence to be higher than animals, now we are lower than animals!

Bobc, Ky, USA

A big part of bullying is the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) messages that kids get from the adults in their lives. Some kids see that children who hurt other children do not get into trouble with their teachers, or the teachers say, "Let them work it out among themselves."
When a child does something that really upsets an adult, fast action is taken about it. So if the adults let actions of cruelty go on, and do nothing about it, like it's not that important, what message does that give kids? They learn that it's OK to hurt people. School staff who tolerate bullying send the message that you can hurt whoever you want and it's their fault that you want to, so go at it.
Add to this the sin nature that all people are born with and someone can get seriously hurt, maybe in ways that can't be seen on the outside.
We need to clean the pro-violence, pro-meanness staff out of the schools before the schools will become a safe place.

Ceecee, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

What has happened to in loco parentis, that historic concept that when a child goes to school, the school and its staff are acting in place of the parent. By allowing these girls to remain in school, and to torment any other person, be they child or adult, the school staff has abdicated its responsibilities and must be punished, as well.

However, no matter how those who have here voiced an opinion that the girls must be punished, everyone knows that there will be no true punishment, for the system works against actual punishment of anyone for any wrongdoing.

Bob Evans, Anaheim, California

I am an American Citizen and what I see is this: England's governmental officials declared war on their law abiding citizens when they outlawed one's right to defend themselves. When ever a country or entity within a country says they will prosecute their citizens if they defend their selves, this lates piece of terroism will be the result.

John D. Langdon, Kenosha, Wisconsin. USA

This was as close to attempted murder as one might get for schoolgirls. The school administration is wrong to allow the attackers to continue attending classes with decent, vulnerable children, and the police are wrong to allow these dangerous, violent attackers out on bail.

Parker, Overland Park, USA/Kansas

I live in America and we have bad bullies- recently Louisiana (Jena) 6 black guys beat 1 white guy serverly- Bullies live all over the world.

cie jackson, monroe , usa georgia

This poor girl. I am grateful every day that I live in America. When is England going to wise up ?

Ben , Budd Lake, NJ

From the pictures shown this is not bullying it is grevious bodily harm and the perpetrators should be charged with such.

Anthony Box, wretton,

Absolutely disgusting. However, and I hate to say it, there's quite often 'no smoke', as they say. Sometimes the argument has raged for a long time and the 'victim' has had more than enough to say. Kids need to learn to respect each other and their differences of opinion, instead of looking at everything as who 'won' and how they can dictate. I was surrounded by bullies at school and just had to learn to let it run off. I rarely answered them back, preferring to ignore them. If they can't bait you they give up.

Judy , Liverpool, england

This story is truly sadening! There are two sides to every story but NO-ONE EVERY deserves this kind of abuse. I agree with Janet Fuls - The two girls should be prosecuted as far as possible by law and the two lads trying to help should be praised!

Adam McClelland, Harringay, England

yet another example of our sick and broken society

degsy bunny rabbit, liverpool,

How many more times are we going to have to read that a child who even though made known and identified to the relevant authorities, as being bullied and abused, nevertheless ends up being further violated?
How many more times do we have to read that even though the bullies and abusers were made know and identified that they were not stopped doing what they do?
In this case this child victim of bullying was placed into isolation to do her school work whilst the bullies were free to roam the school!
It's all upside down and it's plain crazy!
Known identified bullies and abusers can be stopped. Full Stop.

Darnthesafetynet, London , W11 1NR

When do we actually start to punish the bullies instead of those being bullied?

Susanne, Edinburgh,

she had three 'friends' with her what were they doing to protect her? What was the shop owner doing? He/she should have intervened or got straight on the phone to the police. I suppose she should be grateful they didn't just kill her with a knife or some other weapon, these situations can so often escalate into a murder when they start kicking heads which seems to be the norm these days.

billcarr, turku, finland

Only a teacher could decide to put the victum in a an isolation unit. Where oh where has common sense gone.

Henry GB, Brampton, Cumbria

So call the police; why is it so difficult for parents to do that? And insist the police do something, never leave it up to the schools to deal with. I can't believe parents let it drag on for so long.

caroline, Folkestone, UK

You poor girl. This is dispiccable behaviour from the school not to take better action.
It is the perfect example of why teachers and figures of authority need more power and why childrem need to learn a hell of a lot more respect.
It is disgusting that this poor girl is back at school where her bullies are still excepted. This sort of behaviour should not be tollerated and these girls should be excluded before other children start to think they can always get away with this sort of behaviour without seriour consequences.

Rachael , Hants,

This problem goes deeper than bullying.
Women today believe that somehow they are immune to the same punishments that men face. Somehow when a woman puts a glass in someones face, it was more gentle or she had a better reason to do it than a man. Many young men are staggered to find out that a woman has been let of with a caution for an offence that would have seen them in prison.
It is time to remind women that having a pretty face and the ability to cry is not an excuse and that they must also obey the law. Women today are lawless. This is apparant on any Saturday night throughout the UK. Equality carries responsibilities. At the moment women believe they have the same rights as men but also have special privilages as women. Not anymore girls. We are equal and that means act like an animal, break the law, lie to the Police and courts and you face prison.The middle class women are not immune. In fact they are often the worst perpetrators. Violence by women is a reality.

J Nowland, Leeds, United Kingdom

In my youth, the exploits of Dennis the Menace (or Beryl the Peril for that matter) would frequently end with Dennis suffering his Dad's slipper to his rear end.

As this would now be construed as child abuse, I suppose it is possible that Dennis may now be running a little wilder but I am certain that he is not the source of inspiration for physically violent yobs.

I doubt the girls in question have the inclination to read anything more testing than TV Quick.

Bob, Reading,

These two girls should go to prison for a good stretch to demonstrate that as a society we will not tolerate these sort of actions... if only!

Andrew brown, derby, uk

Again solution easy give the two girls 5yrs for assault, that would quieten things down. Of course
that would never happen until the real cause of the problem the do gooders are removed.

Barry Holmes, Christchurch, New Zealand

No doubt the flacid liberals in our now pathetic society will come out with some lame excuse as to why we shouldnt be too harsh on the attackers.
Enough is enough I say, name them, and their families, & dish out a punishment that means something, prefferably some sort of physical punishment, then punish the parents too. Its about time the silent, law obiding majority in this country saw punishments that fit the crimes!!!!

Pete, St Albans, UK

Arrest the young female hoodlums and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If possible in the UK, charge them as adults. If you're going to commit an adult crime, be willing to pay the adult price. And while you're at it, sue the parents for every single pence they will ever earn. What happened to this young lady is an absolute outrage that should never be tolerated by any type of civilized society.

Janet Fuls, Cottonwood, CA USA

Sadly bullying has been part of English culture for a while. I was shocked when I first came here (from France) to see it "glorified" in children's comics notably with such characters as "Dennis the Menace". These cheap (in every sense of the word) comics debase education, culture and Knowledge (yes with a capital K!)

Michel La Vedrine, Redditch,