Leader comment: Law not robust enough to prevent another tragedy

Sixteen-year-old Bailey Gwynne died after he was stabbed by a fellow pupil during an argument at Cults Academy.

The killing of a school pupil could be repeated if teachers are not given the power to search pupils suspected to be carrying a weapon

It is a bold claim to suggest in hindsight that a stabbing incident could have been avoided. Attacks with knives are often impulsive, coming as the result of an unexpected flashpoint, and in many cases there is no prior knowledge that the attacker was carrying a weapon.

However in the case of Bailey Gwynne, the Aberdeen schoolboy who was stabbed to death by a fellow pupil during a fight last year, there is enough evidence to suggest that the potential for tragedy could have been identified and acted upon, which might have prevented the needless loss of a young life.

A report into the death of the 16-year-old has found that “several children” were aware that the killer carried weapons, and either felt they could not report him, or that they felt it was not necessary to report him, presumably in the ultimately mistaken belief that he would not use a weapon that he carried.

One of the report’s conclusions states that pupils should be encouraged to report knowledge of weapons, and that is an obvious starting point, provided this can be done confidentially and without fear of reprisal from a reported party.