The Home Secretary has branded an attack that left a young woman with a broken jaw in four places as “appalling”.
Priti Patel condemned the assault following a question in the House of Commons from Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury, whose constituency spans the entry to Trident Park in Runcorn where the 20-year-old victim was set upon by youths with kicks and punches at around 9.50pm on Saturday, May 14.
During a parliamentary debate on Monday over the Government’s Public Order Bill, Mr Amesbury referred to the attack as he criticised the Conservatives’ record on policing numbers.
READ MORE: Live updates as police cordon off park and road
Mr Amesbury said the victim was “beaten senseless” and her “jaw has been broken in four places”.
He cited a previous reference from Ms Patel to “mob rule” and warned a minority of young people believe they have “free rein”.
Mr Amesbury said: “ In the Trident retail park in my constituency, a young woman has just been beaten senseless.
“Her jaw has been broken in four places.
“The Home Secretary spoke about mob rule.
“A bunch - a minority - of young people believe that they are given free rein. There is a lack of neighbourhood and community policing.
“Cuts have consequences. Twenty-two thousand police were cut over 12 years and that has serious consequences for people’s lives.
“What is the Home Secretary going to do about that?
“That is a real noise in communities.”
Ms Patel replied that Mr Amesbury had highlighted an “appalling case of serious violence” that “we should not tolerate at all”, before accusing the Labour man of voting against Tory efforts to cut crime.
During her response she said: “But with all respect to him, he represents a party that has voted against the Government’s work on police, crime, sentencing and courts as well as the resources that we put into policing.
“He asked what we are doing about that.
“Our unequivocal support and backing of the police is absolutely based on that, along with ensuring that criminal sentencing and prosecutions go up, working with the Ministry of Justice and, alongside that, ensuring that we provide the resources to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
“With respect, the Labour party has repeatedly voted against that.”
Three boys aged 12, 13 and 14 and a girl aged 13 have been arrested by Cheshire Police on suspicion of Section 18 assault, causing grievous bodily harm with intent, and released on conditional bail in connection with the incident.
Anyone with any information or dashcam that might assist the investigation is urged to call Cheshire Police on 101 or provide details at cheshire.police.uk, quoting incident number IML 1268970.
Alternatively provide information anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111, or online at crimestoppers-uk.org
