Police have re-opened the case of a Black boy who was attacked by a woman with a paddle after an outcry on social media.
Antwon, 12, was playing with friends in March at Conham River Park in Brislington, Bristol, when the assailant approached the group and accused them of throwing stones - which they denied.
The woman then allegedly struck Antwon with the paddle which, according to the boy’s family, resulting in a head injury which required glueing, police have said, and profuse bleeding. Antwon was the only Black child among his group of peers.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary in April decided against prosecuting the woman despite her admission to hitting him. However today, over a month later, officers have re-opened the case following public outcry and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Ty Forrest, the boy’s father, described the family’s disappointment at the police’s inaction in an interview with the local press.
“It’s a kick in the teeth that nothing has happened. I knew she wasn’t going to jail or anything like that but I thought that it might have at least gone on her record or she’d be given a fine,” he told Bristol Post.
“If the police could have got some sort of resolution to it, it would have been better, but this is disappointing. I don’t want my son to live the rest of his life believing that there are no consequences to things like this.
“We have been getting a lot of support from people since it happened back in March and Antwon’s lived with it. We keep reassuring him but he’s scared and upset and we’re upset that nothing’s been done.”
Antwon’s aunt posted photos to her Instagram account of her nephew’s bloodied face and cut forehead, along with a video clip of a woman angrily confronting his friends after the violent act.
The woman admitted to pushing the 12-year-old with the paddle in her hand, leaving him with a deep cut, the police have acknowledged.
This came after the group of friends were throwing “mud balls” into the water, prompting the woman to come over and tell them off, Mr Forrest explained. She then became irate and when the pre-teen told her to calm down she pushed him.
Mr Forrest came to his son’s side immediately after the incident had taken place and the police were called.
One officer arrived, arrested the woman but dropped her home before taking her to the station because “she admitted she’d done it”, according to the worried dad.
Avon & Somerset Constabulary notified the family that the matter will not be further looked into following the arrest, and subsequent de-arrest, of the attacker who claimed self-defence.
“Unfortunately the decision has been made to take no further action in this case,” a letter to Antwon’s family, dated 14 April and also shared on social media, read.
“The main reason for this is that during interview the suspect raised a possibility for self-defence. By this we mean that the suspect admitted pushing Antwon and when pushing him she had the paddle in her hand and this contacted with his head,” it continued.
“The suspect claimed she pushed Antwon away because he challenged her and she felt threatened by him and the surrounding group. Unfortunately the witness statement we have supports the suspect striking Antwon on the head when she pushed him back.
“Also the CCTV we have does not capture the assault. I am sorry about this decision, I know it will be disappointing.”
A spokesperson for the police said: “Officers attended after a call reporting that a woman had hit a child with a paddle on the riverside near Wyndham Crescent, Bristol at about 3pm on Saturday 26 March.
“A 12-year-old boy had sustained a head injury which required gluing. The incident was taken seriously and a woman was initially arrested at the scene before being de-arrested in line with Police and Criminal Evidence Act guidelines.
“A woman was subsequently interviewed on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm. Officers took a statement from the child and an adult family friend and viewed footage from after the assault. After reviewing the available evidence officers believed that there was no realistic prospect of a conviction and made all parties aware there would be no further action.
“Victims have a right to request a review in such cases. After becoming aware of the concerns of the injured boy’s family through social media, officers got in touch with them and initiated a review of the case. We’d ask anyone who witnessed the incident to call 101 and give the reference 5222071897.”
