Toilet search broadened after spycams found at school

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13: A search of school bathrooms has been ordered after hidden cameras were found in a girls’ toilet at a middle school.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Education confirmed: “The Ministry can confirm that it has carried out an exercise to review other schools.”

It is understood, however, that nothing suspicious was found in the rest of the island’s public schools.

The news came after spy cameras were found in a girl’s bathroom at Warwick’s TN Tatem Middle School.

As police investigate the incident, a children’s rights campaigner warned the installation of the cameras could have been an inside job.

Sheelagh Cooper, president of the Coalition for the Protection of Children, said: “It’s unbelievable — I certainly hope they can find out who installed these cameras.

“It strikes me it’s someone older than a middle school child who has installed this, which is very worrying indeed.”

She added: “It also suggests it had to have been someone with access to the school and the bathrooms, which is also worrying.”

Coat hook

TV and newspaper reports indicated that the spy cameras were discovered after a teenage girl became suspicious about a coat hook in one of the stalls and discovered a camera concealed in it. Another camera in a separate stall reportedly showed young students using the toilet cubicle.

Ms Cooper said: “I can’t imagine how that must feel for the little girls who must feel violated by this terrible invasion of their privacy.”

TN Tatem principal Francine McMahon refused to comment yesterday.

Other schools are closely following events.

Ted Staunton, principal of the private Saltus Grammar School, said: “We have a very good maintenance staff who visit all the locations in the campus. I can’t see that they wouldn’t detect something like this.”

He added that — if Saltus ever had a similar situation and someone connected with the school was implicated — they would “be dealt with extremely harshly”.

After the cameras were discovered, a Government spokeswoman said: “The Ministry of Education has taken this report very seriously and is quite concerned.

“The matter is under police investigation and as such, we will be making no further comment at this time.”

A police spokesman confirmed officers were investigating the incident.