Nation 2 Nation News

By Angela Lavallee

Ya got to ask yourself, how did the school in Brampton Ontario fail a 14-year-old boy so much so that he lost his life on the school yard in front of friends and died in his mother’s arms.

Police now know the mom of Devan Bracci-Selvy told of how her son was bullied and on a constant consistent basis. I think we can all agree her pain tells the truth. She saw it every time her son was bullied, the way he’d stay home and not wanting to go to school, she says he did this often and the absence would last for a few days. She saw him die. We cannot imagine the anguish she feels on a daily, minute-by-minute, basis. A constant reminder of how her sons’ school, that has an anti-bullying policy, neglected to adhere to the policy and failed to protect him.

Then why have such a policy? Is it not worth the paper it’s written on? Why did the province make schools agree to an anti-bulling law? Did the Province of Ontario also fail Devan and his mother? So many questions left unanswered. Almost every school in the province has an anti-bullying policy, and rightfully so. But does it work?

This was a senseless act and should not have happened. The lad had his whole life ahead of him, something his mother said, “He will never get married and he will never be a father,” A sad reality for her and Devan’s family.

Those responsible should face the full extent of the law. Surly, the one who was able to figure out and inflict 18 stab wounds certainty should be able to take full responsibility of his actions. He knows he did it. He knows his victim died. He accomplished what he set out to do, and he is a bully. That’s what bully’s do. They inflict fear mongering onto their victims and gain satisfaction of their actions.

Students who are doing the ugly act of bullying know how to seek out and torment their victim, this according to Bullying Canada – A National Voice for Bullied Youth. Bullies recruit others to join. They know when to “get” them. However, when a parent complains it should spark school officials to do their job and address the issue and immediately. Four were arrested shortly after the stabbing on October 7, 2019. An 18-year-old and 14-year-old are charged with first degree murder. Police believe the younger of the two killed Devan.

Manny Figueiredo, Director of Education for Hamilton-Wentworth District school board said he feels the system did not fail Devan and is still too early in the investigation to speculate.

If anything were to come out of this horrific murder be that… people take notice, that there is a flaw in the school system, not so much as the policy, but those who are to enforce it.  Parents need to teach their kids more. Yes, it starts with the parents. Teachers do more. Principals take more of a stand on reports of bullying. Take every case seriously. Maybe a life will be saved, and the life of Devan will not go in vain.