Casey Heynes

This is the infamous video of Casey Heynes, who lashes out with a very nice lift and throw, after being bullied by other students. When you see the actions of the student doing the bullying, you don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for what then occured to him.

As millions around the world cheer Casey on, it is worth remembering what the sadness of what he has endured. The Herald reports:

Casey Heynes, 16, says he has been bullied nearly every day at his school, Chifley College, St Marys, in western Sydney, but could take no more when Year 7 student Ritchard Gale tormented and attacked him last week. …

Casey said his outburst was a “build-up” of more than three years of being attacked verbally and physically by other students.

“They used to slap me on the back of the head and said I was a fatty and to lose some weight.

“I’ve been duct-taped to a pole before as well. They target me because I don’t retaliate.

What is awful is that the school has never detected the bullying before now, and also that Casey didn’t feel he could go to anyone in authority about it.

Casey told A Current Affair he had been bullied almost every day at school and even contemplated suicide a year ago when the taunts became too much.

“I started putting myself down and all the crap just kept piling on,” he said. “That’s when I contemplated suicide.”

And sadly some kids do committ suicide due to bullying. More New Zealanders die from suicide than in car crashes.

A school can’t be everywhere at everytime. But a good school should have enough teachers around the grounds that they do get to see if bullying is happening, and making sure there are severe consequences for those who do bully.