We moved back into hell

The parents of a 14-year-old Masterton girl fear for her safety after months of bullying that ended in a street attack involving gangs of teenagers and threats posted to the internet.
The father said his daughter received a cut cheek and a black eye in the attack last week that involved about 30 teenagers.
The incident came after almost three months of constant harassment, he said, and one of the attackers has been referred to police youth aid.
Late last week stones were thrown at the family home, he said, and a website added to internet networking site Bebo that insults the girl and ends with the threat "you gon get smacked up agen" (sic).
The website linked to other sites within the network that were posted by pupils from a variety of other schools.
"We moved back to Masterton about three months ago for my health ? we moved back into hell," the girl's father said.
He said his daughter was similarly bullied at Napier Girls High School last year and in January was injured in an unrelated alleged hammer attack in Petone.
The girl is now on a voluntary 7.30pm curfew recommended by police and has been "at least for now" withdrawn from Makoura College, he said.
The school provided support for the girl, he said, advising her to sit in a "safe point" in the college administration block during breaks and over lunch.
She was also warned by school staff and police to always carry a cellphone, he said.
Makoura College acting principal Sandee Lidbetter said the school knew of the bullying and that "we have done all we possibly could" to keep the girl safe, including the use of a safe point and ? against school policy ? a cellphone during school hours.
"I am aware of the situation involving (the girl) but, as I understand it, 99 per cent of that bullying has happened outside of school ? at night, at weekends, and during holidays."
She said two female pupils at the school "had a problem" with the girl and that one of the girls involved in the latest incident "is being punished by the law".
The school was not considering any other sanction against them.
"That would be double punishment. (The girl) might very well feel unsafe at school but we can't stop these other children from coming."
The girl's parents have chosen to temporarily remove their daughter from "the danger zone" at Makoura College and she is now taking lessons at home prepared by the school.
She has the home security system 'panic button' at hand, he said, and police on speed dial on her cellphone.
"We have a large dog and when we're not there the doors are locked. She may be a prisoner but at least she's safe from harm."
Although the girl says the peace at home allows her to learn in a quieter environment, her parents are adamant she should be able to attend the school of her choice without risking injury or relentless insults.
"It started over a boy meets girl thing that ended badly.
"But since then a group of kids have hounded her every day at school and even followed her home and threatened to bash me as well if I got in their way," the father said.
A complaint about the assault last week was made to police, he said, who referred the case to the youth aid section and "have been helpful even though their hands are pretty well tied" because of the ages of those involved.
The man resents having to remove his daughter from college and is not yet considering another school as "we've paid fees for the year and paid for the uniform.
"And anyway, why should we?"
He has told Wairarapa MP John Hayes about the situation and said he has done "all that is legally within my power" to keep his daughter safe from the bullies.
"I'd rather she was at home where I know she's safe and I know she's with me.
"I'm not going to jeopardise her by sending her to school. Something will have to change before I consider her returning to school any day soon."
Masterton Police Sergeant Peter Rix spoke with the man about the Bebo tirade aimed at the girl this week but said the posting is not illegal.
"While it may be wrong and a breach of civil law ? defamation perhaps ? and while it may be infuriating and annoying, there needs to be a criminal offence to warrant an investigation."
Mr Rix said parallels could be drawn to investigations into the CYFSWatch site this year that found no criminal offence.