School headteacher Serge Cefai has called for a “zero-tolerance” approach to youth criminals following a knife attack at a Welsh school.
Speaking to GB News, Cefai demanded an end to “pussyfooting around” with young offenders.
He advocated for strict measures in schools, stating: “If you bring a knife to school, you’re never coming back. You bring drugs in, the same thing. You hit a teacher, the same thing.”
The Twickenham-based educator also urged parents to be more vigilant, saying: “No more no-go areas in your households. If you suspect something, look under their beds, check what they’re doing on their phones, take action.”
The call for stricter measures comes in the wake of a shocking incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.
On April 24, a 14-year-old girl stabbed two teachers, Fiona Elias and Liz Hopkin, and a fellow pupil.
Serge Cefai joined Martin Daubney on GB News
PA / GB NEWS
The attack, captured on CCTV, showed the girl scuffling with teachers moments before the stabbings. All three victims were treated in hospital but released the following day.
The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to three counts of wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article on school premises. She denies three counts of attempted murder.
The trial is ongoing at Swansea Crown Court.
Ysgol Dyffryn Aman in Ammanford, CarmarthenshireGETTY/GOOGLE STREET VIEW
During the trial, the court heard that the girl had been carrying knives to school since she was “seven or eight” years old.
She admitted to taking a knife almost every day, citing feelings of fear and worry. The defendant also revealed she used knives for self-harm.
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Earlier in the school year, she had been caught with a knife by Elias and was subsequently excluded for a week. Despite her father’s daily bag searches, she managed to conceal a knife in her pocket on the day of the attack.
Serge Cefai joined Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
The girl expressed remorse for her actions, telling the court: “It doesn’t feel like I did it, to be honest. (I feel) terrible, guilty.”
Cefai criticised the current approach to juvenile crime, stating: “The trendy-wendy way of bringing up children has clearly not worked.”
He called for a complete overhaul of the youth justice system, arguing that the current “softy approach” is setting children up for “a life in prison”.
The headteacher emphasised the need for immediate action, saying: “We must now adopt a no tolerance view to children carrying knives.”
