Belfast Girls Model School tells Muslim girls it is ‘not safe’ for them

One of the girls, who has been identified on social media as the perpetrator of the alleged assault, now wants to change her name.

“They are worried. They’re wondering why there is no protection in place for them,” the friend added.

“These are young girls, their names have been mentioned.

“Even the other girls whose parents are [making claims]—their names are all over social media.

“It’s just not safe for any child to be in that kind of intensity of misinformation.”

Daniel Holder, director of the Committee on the Administration of Justice, told BBC News NI that some posts on social media had been “toxic” and “racist”.

He said incidents happen at schools all the time, but this particular one was escalated due to misinformation online.

“It’s underpinned by the usual false claims and stereotypes – false claims about gangs, false claims about terror, false claims about knives – and that in itself feeds a climate where minorities are more likely to be victimised, more likely to be targeted, and more likely to be attacked,” he said.

“It’s a far-right trope to collectively demonise a community and present them as a threat, but obviously different people will pick up misinformation, and some people will think it’s true. And that is extremely risky.”