Avon and Somerset Police has apologised for things they "didn't get right" in the case of a mum who admitted hitting a 12-year-old boy with a paddle. Fay Johnson, 32, pleaded guilty to the incident in March last year after police were called to reinvestigate the incident following the force's initial decision to close the case.
The force said it identified a "number of learnings" and that it "welcomes the scrutiny" the case has brought, particularly regarding community concern that the 12-year-old victim, Antwon Forrest, was treated differently because of his race.
Chief Inspector Mike Buck said: “We’re extremely grateful to Antwon and his family for meeting with us in person, so we could listen to their views and concerns, explain what action we were taking, and so we could offer our apologies for the outcome of the initial investigation and for the things we didn’t get right."
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“This is an upsetting case of an assault on a young boy, which caused him actual bodily harm, and the weight of evidence gathered during the re-investigation has led to the defendant admitting the offence and being sentenced today. We’ve identified a number of learnings as a result of this case, including the fact the family should have been offered a right to review following the initial decision.
"We want to assure the family and the wider community that we welcome the scrutiny this case has brought and we’ll use the learnings to improve the way investigations are carried out. We recognise the strength of community concern following the initial outcome of this case and the perception that Antwon was treated differently because of his race.
“While we’ve found no evidence to suggest race played any part in the police decision to take no further action, we’ve listened deeply to the concerns and issues raised by the victim’s family and the wider community, and we’ll use the lessons from this investigation in the ongoing work we are doing under the National Race Action Plan – which is central to our mission to become an anti-racist organisation.
“A significant part of this plan will focus on improving our service to Black victims of crime, and we're exploring whether we can establish a clear set of standards to improve our performance and positive outcomes, because research shows Black victims of crime often do not feel they receive the same level of service as others, which can lead to under-reporting and a lack of trust and confidence in the police.
"Improving the service we offer to Black victims of crime is crucial if we are to increase community confidence and ensure we’re delivering outstanding policing to all our communities, and this case will form a central thread to our work under the Race Action Plan. In addition, between November and February, all neighbourhood and response officers are undergoing bespoke training to help us improve investigative standards – from securing evidence, to preparing case files and undertaking disclosure. While this training isn’t as a direct result of this case, it will help us improve the service to all victims of crime and achieve the justice they deserve."
Johnson, whose address has been withheld after she received threats of abuse online, was sentenced to a four month long prison sentence, suspended for six months, today (January 12) at Bristol Crown Court. After challenging a group of 20 to 30 young people, who had been throwing rocks and mud at river users in St Annes Park, the court heard how Antwon and Johnson had an altercation, which resulted in her striking him on the head with a paddle.
Antwon suffered a 1cm long cut to his forehead, which was glued shut. His nan, Tania Palmer told BristolLive he is "permanently scarred." Johnson was arrested at the scene of the incident but was later de-arrested.
Three weeks following the incident, Antwon's family received a letter from Avon and Somerset Police telling them they would not be investigating the incident further. This decision was criticised furiously online, and resulted on family members and supporters in Bristol sharing images of the injury on social media, as well as videos of Johnson threatening the group.
Police confirmed officers attended the incident and a woman was arrested at the scene, but later de-arrested and interviewed at a police station. They said they gathered statements and the outcome, ultimately based on the evidence at the time, was that no further action would be taken.
Avon and Somerset Police launched a review of the decision after senior officials were made aware, following public concern. The re-investigation included a review of all available video footage, including new footage provided to the police, as well as identifying and taking statements from as many people who witnessed the incident as possible, re-examining 999 calls, compiling medical evidence and liaising with relevant partner agencies.
A file of evidence was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which later authorised a charge of causing actual bodily harm to be brought against Fay Johnson.
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