(Trinidad Guardian) Principal and proprietor of Maraval-based Blackman Private School Arlene Blackman yesterday appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate accused of assaulting two of her pupils. Blackman, 68, was not called upon to plead to the two charges, which were laid under Section 3(1) of the Children’s Act, when she appeared before Magistrate Christine Charles in the Fifth Court. The charges arose out of an alleged incident at the school on Saddle Road, Maraval, on January 24.

Two pupils, ages nine and ten, claimed they were taken to the school’s toilet and had their heads flushed. The incident was later reported by the boys’ parents to officers of the St Clair Police Station.  The charge stated that as a person in care and in charge of the boys, Blackman wilfully assaulted them and exposed them to unnecessary suffering to their health. Under the legislation, a person found guilty of the offence faces a fine of up to TT$10,000, or in default, up to two years’ imprisonment.

After the matter was called in court, Charles requested that media personnel who were present in the courtroom refrain from publishing the names of the alleged victims, as was done since the incident was first published. Investigators of the Port-of-Spain CID, led by ASP Ajith Persad, received instructions from Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Roger Gaspard late on Thursday evening, at the end of the investigation into the incident. After being charged around 8 pm on Thursday, Blackman was granted TT$150,000 bail to cover both charges by a Justice of the Peace who visited the Central Police Station on St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, where she was being detained. During yesterday’s hearing, Blackman’s bail was regularised by Charles. The charges were laid by Cpl Rennie Grant and WPC Ferette, both assigned to the St Clair Police Station. The victims of the alleged attack and their parents were not seen in the courtroom during yesterday’s hearing. Blackman was represented by Senior Counsel Pamela Elder and attorney Richard Mason, while police prosecutor Sgt Anderson Gonzales appeared for the State. Blackman is expected to reappear in court on February 16.