Father is stunned to find shocking pictures of his autistic daughter, 9, locked away and crying on the floor taken by school staff

Concerned father asked to see daughter's school file amid safety concerns, he was shocked to find photos of her crying and being punished Family have now released photos and are calling for an investigation School has been in special measures and has now got new management. The father of an autistic girl has told of his horror after he uncovered disturbing pictures of his daughter in a file at her former school.Alan Evans removed daughter Jasmine, now 11, from Tregolls School in Truro, Cornwall two years ago amid concerns about how staff were treating her.He was able to access the school's records and was shocked to find photos of her shut behind a child gate, crying her eyes out and rolling on the floor. 

The father of Jasmine Evans, an autistic girl from Lanner, Cornwall, was shocked to find photos of her crying and locked behind a child gate in her school file after he became concerned she was being badly treated

Mr Evans, who works as a nurse, has now released the photos because he believes education officials are avoiding investigating
the way his daughter was treated.

He said: 'I saw the photographs and found them incredibly upsetting. She is behind a childproof gate, crying and on the floor in her underpants.

'I think they should have been helping her instead of photographing her and as a result they've failed in their duty of care.'

The pictures were taken in early 2013, when his daughter was just nine years old. 

He believes the school was compiling some kind of file of evidence in a bid to show she was difficult to manage. than he added: 'It was horrific. In the whole file there was no evidence of her being educated. It was all evidence gathering against her.

'I have no idea why she was locked behind the gate. I don't know whether it was meant to be punishment or not.

'Just prior to that she was pictured on the floor in her knickers. It seems all they have done was take photos of a broken-hearted child.

'I now know she is never going back to school again. Life is difficult for her and has been made doubly so.

'I don't think people realise stuff like this still goes on. I thought this sort of thing ended years ago.'

Mr Evans says authorities are not investigating why the photos were taken or how his daughter was treated

Jasmine suffers from autism which means she has trouble speaking and has behavioural problems.

After finding them, Mr Evans instantly removed Jasmine from the school and now educates her at home because the experience has left her too scared to re-join a classroom environment.

He added: 'To me the photographs are gross misconduct and I took her out of the school there and then.

'She'll never go back to school and suffers badly from anxiety and separation disorders.'

Mr Evans and his wife Janet, 42, are angry at local authorities and have accused them of turning a blind eye to the shocking photos.

Jasmine was excluded for hurting a staff member just before Christmas in 2012, but while her parents acknowledged she has behavioural issues, they believe staff at the school still let her down.

Her father said: 'Nobody will investigate this and I want to know why. I have approached the educational authorities and social services, neither of whom want to know.'

The 51-year-old said the burden of tutoring his daughter at their home in Lanner, Cornwall, is 'huge' and the family are suffering as a result.

He said: 'It's had a massive effect on our lives and as Jasmine is non-verbal, she struggles to express herself.

'She has no friends and no social life outlet so we have to constantly try to keep her amused.

'It's costing us an arm and a leg and we are really hitting a brick wall but despite this she's actually doing better educationally since she was taken out of school.' 

A spokesperson from the National Autistic Society said: 'Unfortunately, far too many children with autism, like Jasmine, don't get the education they need.

'Autism is a spectrum condition so, while all children and young people with the lifelong disability share certain difficulties around social communication and interaction, it affects them in different ways. 

'Autism can have a profound effect on children and young people, as well as their families, but the right support at school can make a huge difference and help them to reach their full potential.'

Jasmine, pictured with father Alan and mother Janet, is too afraid to return to school after her experiences

A statement from Tregolls School, now an academy, said: 'This relates to a period of time when Jasmine was under the care of a different staff, head teacher and governing body than we have today.

'As far as we are aware the school acted to the best of its ability at the time.

'Jasmine left the school within the first four months of Tregolls Academy opening, when it was recommended that her needs would be best met by a specialist provision.

'Tregolls School was put into special measures in 2011 and reopened in 2012 as an academy. We take the dignity and safety of all pupils very seriously as evidenced by our recent outstanding grade by Ofsted for safeguarding.'

Cornwall Council said it could not comment on individual cases.

A spokesman said: 'The council's children's services authority works closely with schools and with parents and carers to provide the highest possible quality of provision to meet the needs of all children in Cornwall.

'It supports schools to follow due process in all circumstances relating to children with special educational needs.'

The pictures of Jasmine, who has autism,  were taken in early 2013, when she was just nine years old.