Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — A provocative Snapchat clip has caused fighting among a number of girls in a secondary school in Al-Waziriyah district of Jeddah, leaving some of them with bruises.

The brawl for all took place about a week ago during the recess between students of second and third grades with 480 other students watching. The teachers and staff could not stop the fighting.

According to school sources, the fighting happened between 12 Saudi and three expatriate girls.

Nada Al-Qaidi, the head of the school, said the students provoked each other on Snapchat outside the school hours but they fought in the school during the break.

She regretted that the students would provoke each other on social media tools, breeding enmity and hatred.

Qaidi said when she and her staff failed to stop the fighting, she called the police who talked to the girls on amplifiers to cool them down.

She said she also took the legal procedures by informing the concerned authorities about the incident.

“The school is a place for study and good behavior. We have no control over the students’ behavior after school hours. This is the responsibility of their parents and other family members,” she said.

Qaidi said it was obvious that the fighting was a result of differences that happened outside the school.

Hamoud Al-Sughairan, spokesman of the department of girls education, said the department formed a committee to investigate the incident.

“We will take appropriate measures and will apply the regulations on the students involved in the fighting,” he said.

Abdul Karim Al-Qadi, lawyer and legal consultant, said the summary court was responsible for looking into cases of badmouthing and defamation on social media.

He said the punishment in such cases could be imprisonment for five years and a fine not exceeding SR3 million or both together.

The sources said many of the students involved in the fighting suffered bruises in various parts of their body including the head and arms.