KINGSTON, Jamaica – Parents of students at Cornwall College in Montego Bay are demanding answers from the authorities after an entire classroom of Grade 10 students were arrested by police following the theft of a school bag.

The students were taken to the Freeport Police Station after they were initialled questioned by school authorities over the disappearance of the bag.

Attorney Nicole Allen said the decision to arrest the class was “excessive” adding “I just think this is a poor handling of the situation”.

Allen also cautioned that if the boys are under 18 years old, investigators were not authorised to take statements or conduct question-and-answer sessions without their parents being present.

"The court that will have jurisdiction, once they're under 18, is the Family Court, and they can't appear before a judge without their parent or guardian," she said, adding “all of this, in my view, seems a bit excessive … you can't treat children like that," she said.

Police were called to the school after a student reported that his backpack with books and house keys had gone missing.