An Irish language school in Co Tyrone has postponed a PSNI visit to talk about online safety after being contacted by hardline republican party Saoradh.
Parents of children attending Gaelscoil Eoghain in Cookstown were told on Friday that a police officer was due to visit on Monday to discuss “the importance of safe behaviour online”.
It is understood an officer from the Neighbourhood Policing Team was due to speak to Primary 7 children at the school.
However, the school was later contacted by Saoradh, which said it was “acting on behalf of a number of parents” who felt they had no option but to remove their children if the event took place.
A message was later posted on social media saying the internet safety event had been postponed.
It was due to take place just weeks after catfish sex offender Alexander McCartney, who drove one of his young victims to take her own life, was sentenced to at least 20 years behind bars.
McCartney (26) who admitted 185 charges involving 70 children, posed as a teenage girl to befriend young girls across the globe on Snapchat and other social media platforms before blackmailing them.
Schools across the north have since written to parents to highlight the dangers posed by catfishing.
Mid Ulster assembly member Patsy McGlone was critical of the Saoradh intervention.
“A fortnight after the conviction of one of the worst abusers of at least 70 children online, driving one poor child to suicide, Saoradh opposes an internet safety workshop,” he said.
“God forbid any of their children ever encounter the likes of Alexander McCartney and I’ve no doubt who any parent would ask to investigate and help in such circumstances.”
In its letter to the school Saoradh said that many of the children attending “see British police as an oppressive force”.
“They are subject to aggressive stop and searches either on their own or with family members,” the letter said.
“For them to see the same British force in their school is terrifying”.
The party added that “schools shouldn’t be used as a political tool in the ever-changing political landscape”.
Gaelscoil Eoghain was contacted.
