If a young female relative of mine was slashed several times in the face at school, I think I’d go to the ends of the earth to see justice done.

Especially if it happened at a supposedly secure place – in the school canteen during morning break.

So I would expect an open hearing in court, followed by a detailed public explanation from the authorities in charge of child safety.

This shocking scenario actually occurred at Hazlehead Academy in Aberdeen – yet sadly without any public conclusion in court or official explanations.

The offender, aged 15, was herself a victim of sorts after being bullied; she fantasised about mutilating and killing her tormentors – and took the knife into school repeatedly.

But her needs had to be balanced by transparency to soothe public shock over the incident.

Instead, the case was transferred from legitimate public scrutiny in court to a secret world of Scottish children’s hearings – with the final resolution unknown because these proceedings are unreportable.

Into the arms of a friendlier social work approach where punishment is lower priority.

I have argued that the resulting secrecy and therefore lack of public accountability were fundamentally wrong.

Coincidentally, a flurry of background information has emerged from the children’s hearings hierarchy........

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