The mother of a girl stabbed 10 times by a boy for spurning his advances says it is 'disgraceful' he was not jailed over the attack. Detectives likened the crime to harrowing TV drama Adolescence, after the boy, 14, attacked the girl, 13, in a shop in Cirencester.
The boy had become obsessed with the girl and when she rejected his advances, he began using fake social media accounts to send her messages. After following her into a shop on March 15, he pulled out a 6in kitchen knife. CCTV from inside showed her running for her life as he walked after her coldly, cornered her and struck. A hero shopkeeper who intervened was also hurt.
Victim's mother speaks out
The girl was lucky to escape with cuts to her neck, hands and face, and bruises on her back. Speaking to the BBC, her mother said: 'If it hadn't been for the shopkeeper and her [daughter's] quick reactions, she would have been dead.'
The boy was lucky to escape a prison sentence and was instead given a 12-month referral order and three-year restraining order. The mum said she feels 'angry' and 'incredibly let down' by the sentence.
'If you're big enough to commit an adult crime, you should have the punishment, regardless of your age. It was not a petty crime – it wasn't petty theft,' she said. 'It's disgusting. It's absolutely disgraceful after watching [footage of the attack] that someone can say the guidelines are "first offence and the injuries weren't life-threatening".' She added: 'I want some justice for my child – I want some protection.'
Police compare case to TV drama
Speaking after the sentencing, Det Supt Ian Fletcher said the case resembled award-winning Netflix show Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham as the father of a boy, 13, who stabs a girl classmate to death for rejecting his advances.
'There was a brief period they were dating,' he said. 'That stopped, she no longer wanted a boyfriend and obsessive behaviour built. It's not something we normally see in children.' And he warned: 'It doesn't get classified as domestic abuse currently in law because they were both under the age of 16.'
Victim's impact statement
The girl said in her victim impact statement: 'I'm scared and nervous anywhere I go. If someone puts their hand up next to me I flinch as I don't know what they're about to do to me. I know this is as a result of the incident – I wasn't like this before.'
The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted wounding, grievous bodily harm and knife charges in March. Judge Ian Lawrie told Bristol crown court the attack, in Cirencester, was a 'very troubling event' but added: 'He's still young. And he is capable of learning.'
