3 Nov 2014

RIP Mrs Maguire – but there are still questions to be answered

Outside Corpus Christi Catholic College a small collage of notices is fixed up to the railings.

“RIP Mrs Maguire” from the Year 11s. A reference to “the mother of the school” as she was known in the place where she had taught for 40 years.

In front of that notice Steve Mort, the head teacher; a senior Catholic churchman in the city, Monsignor John Wilson; and the director of children’s services in Leeds, Nigel Richardson, have just spoken.

Naturally the head was keen to praise the way the school has pulled together. The churchman praised the dedicated woman Mrs Maguire undoubtedly was.

Mr Richardson was keen to show there are, he says, no lessons to be drawn from this appalling episode: “I feel I must reiterate what others have already said repeatedly today that this was an isolated and unprecedented incident and it is not in any way indicative of a wider problem, in this school, or in schools across the region.”

Well – that may be so. But curiously neither he nor the headteacher nor the priest were taking any questions. We were told that in advance.

A decision had been taken. Across school, church and council – no questioning allowed.

This is uncomfortable.

The verdict is passed. Will Cornick is now named.

But whatever Leeds tries to pretend, that is not the end of it, nor should it be. If Leeds wants to be united in writing all this off to a psychopathic episode then that is their prerogative but it should not go unchallenged.

Nothing could have been done to prevent it – that was the police today echoing the school/church/council.

But Cornick had talked openly about a violent attack two months before. He had written on Facebook about killing another pregnant teacher. He’d been bringing alcohol into to school  – so there are questions to be answered.

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