Doctors said the injuries could have been fatal.

“He walked free!?” one commenter wrote online. “And then they wonder why more people don’t want to become a teacher.”

Despite the severity of the incident, Matthew was handed a three-year social work supervision order, avoiding prison entirely, according to The Sunday Times. The court heard that the attack followed a confrontation about a behavioural measure: Matthew, who had a history of aggression, refused to change for PE in a separate room, a protocol designed to prevent classroom conflict.

Fiscal Deputy Laura Bruce said Ms. Shaw, regarded as a trusted adult by Matthew, was called to de-escalate. Instead, she became the target.

“She remembers being grabbed, arms pinned, then hitting the floor with horrific force,” Bruce told Dundee Sheriff Court, per Metro