Dad astounded that someone recorded barely conscious daughter instead of helping her A video of a schoolgirl, who allegedly drank a concoction of Xanax (a medication that treats anxiety) and Coke, went viral recently.
A VIDEO of a teenage Phoenix schoolgirl, dressed in full uniform, frothing and barely conscious after she allegedly drank a concoction of Xanax (a medication that treats anxiety) and Coke went viral recently.
The grade 8 pupil had bunked school with friends on the day of the incident, her father told the POST.
Last Monday, he called on law enforcement officials to do more to curb the drug trade at schools in Phoenix.
The pupil is a minor and cannot be identified.
The father said he was astounded that someone “could actually record my daughter instead of helping her”.
“When I saw the video it made me feel upset and angry. The person who recorded it and then shared it, did not think about the impact it would have on my child and our family," he said.
In the video, the pupil, who attends a local high school, is seen seated on the ground, slumped over.
She is dressed in her school uniform and a boy is trying to pick her head up.
She could not speak and could barely keep her eyes open.
When the boy pushed her hair away from her face, she was seen frothing.
In the background of the video, someone could be heard saying that there was also blood coming out of her mouth.
HeR distraught father said: “She just started high school and we never expected something like this to happen. My daughter left home with her transport as usual on that day. She was dropped off at the gate,” said the father.
“When I questioned her, she said that at some point in the day she and a group of girls left the school yard. She said they paid the security guard R20 to allow them to leave.
“She said when they left the school they met an older boy who offered them a cold drink. She drank it and soon after that she started to feel sick. She was outside the school on the road side when she became semi-conscious and was frothing at the mouth,” he added.
“A teacher contacted me and told me what had happened. I left work and rushed to the school only to find my daughter lying on the ground. An ambulance had already been called. I gave the paramedics authorisation to treat her. They stabilised her and I took her home,” he said.
He said he later quizzed her about what had happened.
“She told me that she did not know that the Coke had been spiked. After the incident, I started doing my own investigations asking around in the community about the Xanax and Coke claims. It seems like this is just a cheap way for people to get high,” the father added.
Xanax can be bought for as little as R5 a tablet.
The father claimed that he also found out who was dealing the tablets in the neighbourhood.
“I have the address of the drug dealers and their pictures. I also found out that pupils within the school are selling the drugs to other children. I went to the Phoenix Police Station to report my daughter’s incident and also give them the information about the dealer. Sadly, I did not receive any help. I was told that I could not open a case.”
The father said he was “disappointed and angry”.
“How do I get justice for what happened to my daughter when the police refuse to help. How many more families will go through what we suffered before the police take action. Surely, by refusing to open a case or take the information on the drug dealer cannot be right. Is it corruption?”
“At this point, I do not know who to turn to for help. Thinking back on the day of the incident, my daughter could have died of an overdose. Seeing her frothing at the mouth was one of the scariest things. I don’t know how to handle the situation with my daughter going forward. I want to get her counselling to help her deal with what has happened,” he added.
Community activist, Mervyn Reddy, said while this incident was disturbing it was nothing new.
“We see this type of behaviour often, even during school excursions. In some cases it is the boys who spike the drinks with Xanax and give it to the girls. The aim is to take advantage of the girls. It is a growing problem,” he said.
Reddy, who is also a part of the Spiritual Crime Prevention Program at the Phoenix Police Station, said there was decay of morals in society.
“We no longer have school guidance counsellors to teach pupils right from wrong. Drugs and violence in schools is so rife and the major concern is what type of people are roaming in society.”
Reddy said spirituality was needed to ground pupils and parents needed to work with the school to eradicate the problem.
Muzi Mahlambi, the spokesperson for the Department of Education in KwaZulu Natal, said they were aware of the video and that it had gone viral.
“Those involved in this incident will be liable for disciplinary action because a uniform was worn and it has brought the school and the department into disrepute. The drug problem in school requires more than just the department or teachers to resolve it. It starts with the parents. We don’t teach drug usage at school but still find more and more pupils participating in drugs and it is hard to discipline them. All of us need to come together to find a solution when dealing with this scourge.”
Palmview Secondary School principal, Mr S Rathilal, said the matter was under investigation.
“The pupil did not report to school on the day of the incident. We received a call sometime towards the afternoon saying that there was a girl on the side of the road. The other child in the video is not our pupil. Our information indicates he is a relative or family friend of the pupil,” Rathilal said.
He denied the allegations that the guard had been bribed.
“The allegation of bribery was a fabrication. We have several guards at school, some patrol and there is one posted at the gate. The guard at the gate is a long-serving employee of the school and will not accept a bribe to let out pupils, especially an all-girl group. Our early leave policy is strict. If a child enters the school in the morning, only a parent can take them out on early leave,” he said.
He said they had not found pupils selling Xanax pills or any “hard drugs” in school.
“We conduct our searches and police do occasional raids. We do find cigarettes and vapes, but not the hard drugs. The pills are easy to hide. We are governed by the SA Schools Act on the methods in which we conduct our searches. We can only ask pupils to empty their bag or pockets. You also have to understand that searching at school is a very gender-sensitive thing,” Rathilal added.
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