Principal 'gutted' at pupils' shoplifting spree By MEGAN LEVY
The Age
15:35 19/07/2010
The principal of one of Melbourne's leading private schools says he was ''gutted'' to learn 16 of his students had gone on a $6000 ($5000 Aus) shoplifting spree while in New Zealand.
Chris Hayes said the boys had been suspended from Xavier College at Kew in Melbourne's east for one week after they were caught stealing ski clothing from stores in Queenstown.
The boys, aged 14 to 17, were also interviewed by police and will receive an official police caution after the thefts from seven stores across the CBD on Saturday.
They arrived home in disgrace last night, and were met at Melbourne Airport by Dr Hayes and their parents.
''It's so disappointing and so regrettable. It's gutting,'' Dr Hayes said, adding the college had launched its own investigation into the incident.
''The mood [at the airport] was very, very sombre. Certainly the parents felt gutted by the actions of their sons and certainly they fully support the actions of the college.
''Currently they will be suspended from school for a week and in our investigations, if there needs to be further suspensions or further action, we need to discover that through our investigations.''
The boys were among a group of 30 students and four teachers who had gone on the ski trip to New Zealand during the school holidays, he said.
The culprits had set out on a shopping trip on Saturday afternoon, and their teachers only learned of the thefts when a shopkeeper ran up to them.
R&R Sport sales assistant Kate Long told the Otago Daily Times shop staff became suspicious and questioned the group after they took ski garments into the changing rooms.
Some of the boys ran off when challenged, but were quickly found waiting for a bus with teachers.
A search of the bags uncovered a variety of stolen items, many damaged from where security tags had been ripped off.
Other retailers hit in the spree included Outside Sports and 45 South.
Dr Hayes said the boys narrowly avoided more serious legal consequences because of their quick-thinking teachers, who interviewed all 30 students on the trip and quickly rooted out the offenders.
That afternoon and the following morning they were made to return the goods and apologise to the shop owners, while compensation was paid for damaged goods.
Each of the boys was also made to call their parents and confess, during which some broke down in tears
''I thought [the teachers] handled a very distressing situation extremely well, to make sure that for the wrongs that were done that apologies were made as quickly as possible, as well as the return and compensation for any damage that had been done to those goods,'' Dr Hayes said.
''I spoke to the New Zealand police just a few moments ago and their response at this stage is to officially caution those boys, given the quick actions of our staff to make sure that compensation was paid and the goods were returned as well as the fact that they realised the school was going to take quick action.''
Constable Dave Felstead said Queenstown police were unaware a series of town centre shoplifting reports were linked until an officer met a teacher who was returning some of the stolen goods.
All 16 youths' passport numbers were recorded in case any of them got into trouble on future trips.
The spree probably started with one or two youths shoplifting, before others joined in, he said.
Their stupidity was frustrating because it wasted police time but by the time teachers and police caught up with the teens "they were a very sad and sombre bunch".
The latest incident is not the first public humiliation for the college, which charges more than $20,000 in fees annually for students in the senior years.
A group of VCE students from Xavier caused international headlines in 2008 when their "muck-up day" antics led to the mass suspension of Year 12 classes.
Kew residents complained that Xavier students were "blind drunk" in the street, drinking from wine casks and "urinating all over the neighbours' houses".
The school has had a troubled history with allegations of student bullying, including the emergence in 2007 of a YouTube video allegedly showing a student being forced upside down into a wheelie bin.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/3933647/Principal-gutted-at-pupils-shoplifting-spreeOh well, they call it the adventure capital of the world. Can't blame the kids for trying on a new one.
