Herlufsholm school scandal: Princes Frederik and Mary announce the withdrawal of their son, Prince Christian, from the school.
Local media outlets have just published breaking news about Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's decision to withdraw their son, the Prince, from boarding school in Herlufsholm and to cancel Princess Isabella's plan to join the school at the beginning of the new academic year to enter the ninth grade.
The Herlufsholm school scandal and the stance of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have been making headlines in the local press since TV2 aired a documentary alleging widespread abuse among students, including bullying, sexual assault, and other incidents.
The Danish press has covered the issue, with criticism directed at Princess Mary for sometimes failing to answer journalists' questions about the matter on various occasions, especially since her name is associated with the Mary Foundation, which fights bullying, loneliness, and other social issues related to children and adolescents. This has created a kind of uncertainty for many regarding what they believe to be a contradiction between the values that the Mary Foundation works for and the lack of a direct statement about withdrawing her son, Prince Christian, from the aforementioned school, despite the scandals that have recently surfaced.
This announcement comes after the release of a draft report by a special investigation committee from the Danish Education Agency, which was formed after the documentary was shown on TV2. The committee strongly criticized the school's governing board, which resigned on Saturday. The draft report stated that there were serious violations of the law, that the school did not comply with its duty to provide information, and that the governing board did not live up to its responsibilities in terms of performing its duties.
Princes Frederik and Mary had previously announced that they would make a decision during the summer holidays regarding Prince Christian's continued enrollment at the school. Following the release of the draft committee report, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary wrote on Facebook that the question of their children's school future had been a major topic of discussion recently. Because it had placed the family in a difficult position, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess insisted that the decision should be "made on a scientific basis, and we now have that basis," referring to the draft report. They added: "Given the many students who continue their studies at Herlufsholm, we hope that the school will now have more peace to ensure the necessary changes are made and that it succeeds in creating a culture where everyone can thrive and feel safe.".
