GIRL’S HS NIGHTMARE (Mom: School put sex attacker in same class)

New York Post/Dan Mangan and Kyle Murphy

A 13 year old Staten Island honors student sexually assaulted at her high school by aclassmate had insult added to devastating emotionalinjuries when officials kept the fiend in schooland then later put the pair in the same summer class.  The student arrested for molestingfreshman KelseyBalzafiore had his charges dropped after the Staten Island DA's office inexplicablyfailed to inform a judge it was ready to try the case, despite being warned to do so by herlawyers.  A Staten Island civil jury likely will soon hear of Kelsey's shocking treatment byschool officials and DA Daniel Donovan's office after Robert Swen allegedly attacked her at NewDorp High School.  Tomorrow, her lawyers will ask a judge to set a trial date for hernegligence lawsuit against the city, the Department of Education andNYPD's school safetydivision.  On October 20, 2005, after when she asked if anyone had a dollar so she could buybottled water, then 16 year oldSwen said he had money and led her down the hallway.  He thengrabbed her and dragged her down a stairwell to the basement, where he forcibly kissed her, openedher pants and groped her private parts.  When she complained at school the next day, cops whowere called arrestedSwen on sex-abuse charges after having Kelsey point him out in front of otherstudents.  He was suspended for a few days and officials suggested Kelsey could leave throughthe back door to avoid him,  or transfer.  Kelsey spent six weeks at home beforetransferring to Wagner High School.  Months later, when she was attending summer schoolatTottenville High School, Swen walked into her class.  Afterward, officials moved him out ofher class, not the school.   Kelsey, who ended up receiving intensive psychologicalcounseling, received another blow early in 2007 when the criminal case againstSwen was dismissedbecause a Staten Island prosecutor failed to respond as ready for trial as required by law. 
(New York)