Teacher sentenced for death of child during PE class

A PE teacher from Legnica in south-western Poland has been sentenced to 10 months prison following the death of a thirteen-year-old pupil during an outdoor class.  

Tree logs - of the kind used in the tragic PE class.

Photo: PAP/Adam Warżawa

The child's death was caused by injuries to his head during an exercise where the children had to throw a 100 kg log over the heads of other pupils. 

The court of first instance cleared the teacher of wrongdoing. However, the parents of the victim appealed and the appeal court has found the teacher guilty of negligence. 

The court found:

"The teacher unintentionally caused the death of the child through lack of due care in the PE class. Tomasz P [surnames of accused are not revealed in Poland] instructed the pupils to carry out a dangerous exercise, without adequate instruction, without protection (...) without prior investigation of the terrain."

Source: PAP

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