Cleo was called ‘N’ Cleo has been abused No child is born racist word, a b ***** and told relentlessly since she .. this must be coming she was like a ‘burnt started school. Pupil from the parents. I’m chicken nugget’.. she told her she couldn’t so anxiou
MUM AND DAUGHTER’S LIVING HELL
The mum of a little girl who hacked off her hair after suffering sickening racist abuse has begged for parents to educate kids on the damage caused by hateful slurs.
Sarah McNeill said her eightyear-old daughter Cleo Mukolwe – whose dad is from Kenya – has been subjected to cruel bullying over her appearance from kids as young as five since she started school.
However, a recent incident with another child while she was playing near her home in Paisley has now “shattered” Cleo’s mental health and driven her to self harm, leaving her mum desperate for help.
Speaking to our sister title, the Daily Record, Sarah, 42, said: “Cleo was out cycling on her bike with her friend when another boy the same age as her started to harass her.
“She asked him to leave her alone but he started following her. He began to shout at her and called her the N-word, a b **** and mocked her ‘bomb site’ hair.
”When Cleo came home, she was crying. Later that day, I discovered that she had taken scissors to the front of her hair and hacked some of it off. When I spoke to her about it, she told me that she wants to die.
“This is heartbreaking. Cleo is naturally an outgoing child, she is sporty, likes to have fun and is so full of life. She has been brought up to be proud of her skin colour and ignore any abuse, but this has become so horrific for her that it has left her mental health shattered.”
Sarah called the police out to the family’s home to report the incident, but officers said they were unable to take any action because the boy involved is under the age of criminal responsibility.
However, the mum-of-one said she was left so stunned by a later phone call with the other child’s mum that she now feels driven to speak out on parents not taking enough action to educate their kids within the home.
She continued: “The boy’s mum spoke to me that night and she claimed that her son, ‘didn’t know what he was saying’.
“So, that makes me question, what are parents saying behind closed doors that makes children think it is normal to act like this?
“Cleo has been racially abused, relentlessly, since she started school. Examples of this include kids in her class talking about a birthday party and when Cleo asked if she could go, the boy told her they weren’t allowed ‘brown people’ in their home.
“Another time, just a few months ago, one child told her she looked like a ‘burnt chicken nugget’. She has constantly been made fun of for having an afro and one kid in her neighbourhood only ever refers to her as ‘the black girl’.
“No child is born racist, so this has to be coming from the parents. If you are teaching your child to be racist, that is having a detrimental effect on little girls like Cleo.
“But even if you’re not, then it’s clear that this type of language, mindset and behaviour is going unchallenged at home and parents need to do more.”
Sarah said that Cleo’s school has worked hard to support her daughter and to tackle the issue within their premises, but both she and Cleo have been left fearful for the life that she will lead in the outside world if more adults don’t take responsibility for making sure young people are brought up to know that racial abuse is wrong.
She added: “I have been left feeling so anxious for Cleo now. Every time she goes outside, I am worried that someone will abuse her.” A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “Ensuring the wellbeing of all our pupils in Renfrewshire is a priority for every school and we take all reports of bullying extremely seriously, recognising the impact this has for those involved.
”We have strong support systems in place and we are working closely with the pupil and her family to provide support.”
But CRER, The Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, echoed Sarah’s calls for adults to work harder to educate kids in the home and in the community.
A spokesperson said: “Racism can have a devastating impact on children and young people affected by it. We are in the process of setting up a support service for parents and carers, however, we need to create an environment where learners don’t face racism in the first place.
“Racist attitudes and behaviours are learned and can be unlearned. All of us, schools, parents and carers included, have a role in challenging racism.”
Police Scotland confirmed that they attended
Cleo’s home after the incident.
A spokesperson said:
“Around
5.50pm on Friday,
March 8, we received a report of a hate crime which happened in
Katrine Drive,
Paisley. An inquiry was carried out and the matter was resolved.”
St Mirren legend Frank McGarvey’s daughter has reflected on her family’s loss ahead of what would have been his 68th birthday tomorrow.
The renowned footballer died of pancreatic cancer on January 1 last year, and to mark the anniversary of his birthday on St Patrick’s Day, Frank’s daughter Jenny Kane is teaming up with Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Frank started feeling unwell in spring 2022. He had pain in his chest that radiated through to his back, but he dismissed this as being linked to a knock he had received from a car door.
But he later started losing his appetite and losing weight.
“Dad went to the doctors five or six times in spring 2022 and was misdiagnosed,” Jenny said. “One night he phoned 999 as he was experiencing chest pain. I was repeatedly calling and emailing his GP surgery to try and get some answers.
“I wish I had seen one of the posts on Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland’s social media channels listing the symptoms. I think I would have made the connection and thought of pancreatic cancer.
Frank was eventually sent for a chest x-ray in September 2022, but nothing was found. His weight loss continued, and his family was very concerned.
By this stage he was experiencing many of the symptoms of pancreatic cancer which include abdominal pain, jaundice, nausea, weight loss, loss of appetite, indigestion and changes in stools.
He finally received a referral for a CT scan. Once the scan and scope were completed, the doctor called Frank in and informed him that he had pancreatic cancer.
“I had never heard of pancreatic cancer before, but I knew deep down there was something that wasn’t right,” Jenny said. “Pancreatic cancer feels like the forgotten cancer. My dad died in pain. No one should have to go through that suffering.”
After Frank received the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, he was given a prescription of painkillers. He was hopeful he would receive chemotherapy and try to fight the cancer but unfortunately the doctors told him things had changed and he could no longer be offered chemotherapy.
“After he got the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, we received no information of what lay ahead,” said Jenny.
“The decision not to offer chemotherapy seemed so unfair as my dad wanted treatment. He wanted to try everything. He was in so much pain and maybe if he had got further treatment, it might have eased his pain. I feel people like my dad should be able to make that choice themselves about whether they want chemotherapy.
“It is unfair that he never got to make that decision and it was taken out of his hands. I feel robbed that we weren’t allowed to fight just a wee bit harder.”
Frank has eight grandchildren who all miss him dearly but will mark his birthday on Sunday at home. Jenny added: “To mark what would have been dad’s 68th birthday on Sunday, we are going to have a birthday cake and the kids are going to write messages on balloons and send them up to heaven.
“We are going to pay tribute to dad and how much we all miss him.
“When dad was diagnosed, he said to me, ‘Jenny, we need to tell people about this’.
“So, as a family we are working with Pancreatic Cancer Action Scotland to help raise awareness of pancreatic cancer.
“What we went through is not normal. It is traumatic. We want to make sure no one else has to go through what our family has.”
Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of all common cancers, with a five-year survival rate of 7.3 per cent. Each year, over 900 people in Scotland are diagnosed.
Around 26 people die from pancreatic cancer every day in the UK. With early diagnosis, pancreatic cancer can be survived.
Frank was signed by Alex Ferguson for St Mirren and made his debut on April 26, 1975. He soon became a first team regular, scoring 17 times in the 1976–77 season and helping the club win the Scottish First Division.
Frank went on to enjoy stints at Celtic and Liverpool (signing for a Scottish record fee) and returned to Paisley in 1985 for another fiveyear period. He wrote his place in Saints folklore as part of Alex Smith’s side who won the Scottish Cup in 1987.