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."
