Keane Wallis-Bennett FAI: ex-classmates give evidence

Keane Wallis-Bennett, pictured, passed away in April 2014 following the collapse of a modesty wall at Liberton High School

It comes just over three years after Keane was tragically killed when a freestanding modesty wall collapsed in the girls’ changing room of Liberton High School’s old PE block.

The students were called to give evidence by advocate Gavin Anderson, who is representing Keane’s parents, in an effort to shed further light on the moments immediately before she died on April 1, 2014.

One teenager said she had been leaning against the modesty wall with a friend shortly before it fell.

She described having her back against the modesty wall and her feet above the ground on the opposite shower wall.

She said: “We were sort of mucking about, having a laugh.”

The girl said they only had their feet up against the shower wall for “a couple of seconds”, adding: “I can’t remember what happened after - all I remember was the [modesty] wall falling back.”

The teenager added she didn’t know if she had been pushing back against the modesty wall, saying it was more a case of “just trying to keep myself up”.

She said she remembered her friend was doing the same thing, but wasn’t sure if it was at the same time.

Mr Anderson asked if she had been scared when giving her statement to police after the incident, to which she responded that she had.

She added it was the first time she had leant against the wall in such a manner, and that she had not seen anyone else doing so before.

Another girl called to give evidence described how she was standing to the side of the wall shortly before it fell.

She said her leg had been hit as it came down, resulting in some bruising.

The inquiry continues.