Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Boy loses his finger fleeing ‘racist’ bullies
Hand caught in railings as he tried to escape
He was pushed to ground and repeatedly kicked SHANTAL BAILEY MUM OF 11-YEAR-OLD RAHEEM
A BOY’S finger had to be amputated after he caught it in railings while running from playground bullies.
Mum Shantal Bailey said Raheem phoned “screaming in pain” after injuring himself fleeing an alleged attack in which he was repeatedly kicked.
Doctors spent six hours trying to save the ring finger on Raheem’s right hand.
Shantal claims the 11-year-old has faced racist and physical abuse since starting at Abertillery Learning Community in south Wales in September.
She said: “He’d mentioned incidents of people being ‘mean’ – I didn’t realise the extent.
“On Monday Raheem called me in tears, saying he’s being bullied – but that he was the one who was threatened with detention.”
The mum-of-four says she went to the school to discuss it and was “reassured that everything would be handled”.
But the next day she got another call from Raheem, screaming in agony.
She claims: “On Tuesday morning break, Raheem was attacked and beaten by a group of children whilst in school.
“He was pushed to the ground and then repeatedly kicked. He made a desperate attempt to leave the school grounds to escape, but caught his finger.
“The school told me the ambulance wouldn’t arrive for two hours but advised me not to drive him myself.”
She says the school bus instead took her, Raheem and his baby brother to a minor injuries unit – where they waited five hours for an ambulance to take him for an op 50 miles away in Swansea.
But surgeons could not save the digit.
Shantal said: “I think he’s still suffering shock, he keeps asking why it has happened to him and why people don’t like him.
“We’ve still not seen his hand as it’s all bandaged up, but it is going to take some time for him to get used to it.” Shantal had by last night raised £66,195 after setting up a GoFundMe page for a prosthetic finger and other costs for Raheem’s recovery.
Abertillery Learning Community said: “We’re working with police and the local authority to establish the full details.
“The safety of our pupils and staff remains of paramount importance.”
Gwent Police said: “We’re working with the school as part of our enquires.”