Mum blasts authorities after lad forced to move schools to avoid intimidation

My 9-year-old son was filmed being raped by another pupil. Why is he the one being treated like a criminal?

with. Why should I have to go to the shops and worry that these boys or their relatives will be there and start winding me up?

“Surely they should be told to stay away from me and my son. It happens in serious sexual assault cases involving adults. Why is it different when we are dealing with children? I’ve never been in trouble with the police until this year – and it’s all as a direct result of the police and Crown Office’s lack of action and protection.”

She added: “The police should be looking into the background of the boys involved – this type of thing doesn’t happen randomly.”

Sarah has had meetings with the Child Protection Unit, social work and education authorities and has emailed the procurator fiscal’s office.

But she claims they have failed to help her properly – the only assistance she’s received has been from Victim Support.

On February 14, she wrote to Dundee procurator fiscal, Gavin Letford, saying: “This case needs someone else to investigate it as it has been handled so badly... something has to be done.”

She added: “If there had been some kind of rapport, on even the most basic level from the beginning with the professionals and the victims and their families, we would not even need to have this conversation.”

Sarah also complained to Angus Council, claiming teachers did not protect her son or remove the boy who filmed the alleged incident from the school.

Instead, they held a meeting with her on February 20 to hammer out a safety plan where they offered to “closely monitor the pupils” and said “measures would be put in place to separate” the different classes at break and lunchtime.

But Sarah added this didn’t go far enough, saying: “All we wanted was the other boy removed from the school until this is all sorted out. He wasn’t the one arrested or charged but he was central to what happened.” Ben has now moved schools to prevent further intimidation.

Sarah has also complained to the police about how they conducted the probe and also criticised CPU officers who, she claims, have not done their job properly.

She said: “I want my son to feel safe and happy at school. I want the Crown Office to enforce some sort of bail rules to prevent the boys involved or their relatives from coming anywhere near us. They also have to be more transparent with us – we’ve only just found out it is a Children’s Reporter case.

“I also want social work to monitor potentially dangerous and disturbed children far better to ensure something horrific like this can never happen again.”

She added: “It’s like we’re lurching from one nightmare to the next.”

The Crown Office refused to comment, while police said: “A comprehensive investigation was carried out and the circumstances subsequently reported.”

Angus Council said: “We continue to work closely with families and individuals involved and would encourage them to raise any questions or concerns they have with us.”