The parents need to take control of their children’s “shameful” behaviour, according to a top cop whose force has come under fire for its response to a group of feral teens who were filming themselves terrorising children.
Chief Superintendent Eddie Newton of the Lancashire Police says the teen attackers—some of whom targeted children as young as 11—should feel ashamed of their deeds.
He also thinks their parents ought to talk to each other “frankly” about their kids’ bullying.
It follows a string of brutal attacks on their kids by the rowdy teenagers, according to furious mothers who claim they are being forced to take matters into their own hands and patrol their neighbourhood park.
The victims are brutally attacked by the disgusting yobs while walking through a park in the town, as seen in horrifying video.
In a sick twist, the videos have come to light because the unrestrained teens are filming the incidents and posting them online as a terrifying ritual of humiliation.
Up to eight parents in Chorley claim that the gangs have attacked their kids in the past 12 months.
Parents who are fed up with the police claim they are at their wits’ end because they are doing nothing to stop the gang violence.
A parent whose child was caught on camera being kicked repeatedly while lying on the ground claims that her family had to wait four months for the police to respond.
Another complains that despite the violent attack being recorded on video, it took officers four days to record her daughter’s statement.
And in what is arguably the most shocking instance, a parent claimed that police told her that they would only detain the attackers if her daughter had suffered “more serious” injuries, like brain damage.
According to Lancashire Police, nine attackers have since been identified and dealt with as a result of the force’s officers’ “proactive approach” to neighbourhood policing.
CS Eddie Newton said the following about the attacks: “I am sickened and appalled by the incidents and the behaviour of the young people shown on the news report, especially the filming of children being attacked and the sharing of that footage on social media.
“The young people who committed these crimes should be ashamed of their deeds, and their parents/guardians should be having some open and harrowing discussions with them.”
As a result, the mothers of the abused kids claim they are now relying on park patrols to keep their kids safe.
I can’t believe it has come to this, a parent who spoke to the BBC said. Because our kids aren’t being protected, I can see why it’s happened.
“I have to do the police’s job and make sure my daughter is okay if she is down here,” the father said.
Look at what we are having to resort to, another person said. We have faith in the police to keep an eye out for our kids. And since they are unable to do that, we will have to. The parents must take action.
What is the level of crime in Chorley?
67 crimes were reported in June of this year, according to the most recent official statistics.
The majority of those reported crimes were for anti-social behaviour (21).
The other most common crimes reported were shoplifting (13) and crimes involving violence or sexual offences (15).
The number of crimes reported in June was lower than it was in May, when 92 crimes were reported, with anti-social behaviour accounting for the majority of those.
The majority of reported crimes this year in the region, though, have occurred in March. In March, more than 120 crimes were reported, 35 of which involved anti-social behaviour.
According to statistics, Chorley had an annual crime rate of 89 crimes for every 1,000 residents.
This is 13% higher than Lancashire’s average crime rate for the rest of the nation, which is 77 crimes per 100,000 residents.
Another parent said: “There are lots of parents who want to take this into their own hands and obviously at this point they haven’t done, and I’m glad they haven’t done, but something’s got to give.” At some point, they haven’t, and I’m glad of that.
It follows interviews with parents in Chorley whose children had suffered violent attacks at the hands of gangs of stray youths by the BBC.
One video depicts Ellissia, age 11, being attacked by a group of thug girls in the subway.
They’re just brutal,’ her mother Jade said of the assault. It’s horrifying to watch (the video). She reminds me of a young child. Your infant is lying on the floor there. I’m just so enraged at them.
Indie, an 11-year-old girl, was attacked in the same park on the same day.
Leanna, her mother, claims that she immediately went to the Chorley Police Station to report what had occurred.
She asserts, however, that she was informed that no one was available to see her when she requested to speak with an officer.
Officers allegedly took a statement for four days, according to her. I was shocked, really in disbelief, she remarked.
Later on, two of the attackers were voluntarily cautioned.
Bethany, a 14-year-old girl, was attacked in April of last year. During the attack, which was recorded and shared on social media, she was able to call her mother.
According to Lisa, they repeatedly punched her and stamped on her head. They alternated turns. In fact, according to the doctor, she would have most likely died from one more blow to the skull.
According to Lisa, a 999 call was made to the police while the attack was taking on. But she claims that for 48 hours, nobody showed up.
The arrest of Bethany’s assailants, according to her, took weeks. Following a conditional warning, two of the females involved have since sent letters of apologies.
I got the idea from the police that they thought it was futile and that nothing would come of it, she added.
Chief Superintendent Eddie Newton, Area Commander for South Division, responded to the accusations by saying he did “not underestimate” how the assaults would affect the victims and their families.
I am shocked and outraged by the happenings and the actions of the young people shown in the news article, especially the videotaping of youngsters being assaulted and the posting of such evidence on social media, the man stated.
The parents and guardians of the young people who committed these crimes need to have some candid and challenging talks with them.
“We have done a lot to help the victim and their families, to keep them informed, and to be in regular communication with them over the last several months.
It is crucial that we outline both what we have done in connection to the instances presented and the larger work we are dedicated to doing to combat anti-social behaviour.
“I also completely appreciate the outrage felt by the wider community throughout Chorley, Lancashire and beyond,” the author continues.
The assailants mentioned had been interrogated under duress, he said, adding that the police had “thoroughly probed” the claims.
Five of the nine total offenders have received young cautions, and the Panel is currently deliberating over the cases of four others, he said.
We always answer the phone when someone calls in an emergency and deploy police as quickly as we can, since we take all allegations of assault and anti-social behaviour very seriously.
We understand some parents are still unhappy with our response, so it is right that we reevaluate everything we have done.
We will make sure to keep all of the victims and their families informed and ensure that any lessons for us are learned.
“We believe all calls in relation to these incidents have been handled appropriately, but we understand some parents are still unhappy with our response,” the statement reads.
It happens as police forces throughout the UK are under growing pressure to retake control of a lawless Britain from criminals.
A number of scary muggings that were recorded on camera have occurred, particularly in London. One such video shows a man and a woman being assaulted by criminals in upscale Chelsea.
Additionally, there have been many instances of robbers and drug traffickers committing crimes while disguising themselves as delivery drivers.
Roy Muller, 76, is shown on video getting punched, kicked, and hit with a weapon as he attempts to force the rowdy kids out of his driveway in Great Barr, Birmingham.
The grandfather-of-nine claims that after months of being targeted by groups of anti-social yobs, he was compelled to protect his home from the violent adolescents.
Roy, a single man who had a heart attack last year, claims that ‘uninterested’ police have done nothing despite the fact that he is often targeted by up to 14 young people.
In a desperate attempt to get assistance, Mr. Muller claims he is now too afraid to leave his house and has written to Sir David Thompson, Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police.
Police claim to be looking into the attack and “informed” of complaints of persistent anti-social behaviour. ‘Extremely seriously,’ the police assert, it treats harassment claims.
It follows the publication of a critical study that revealed how the police consistently fail to protect the great majority of burglary victims as well as those who are the targets of theft and robbery.
The investigation indicates that officers are “losing chances” to apprehend individuals as soon as crimes are reported.
According to the most recent Home Office statistics, just 3.7% of burglaries, 4.2% of thefts, and 6.6% of robberies result in charges.
These are “not trivial offences,” according to Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke, who added that they “strike to the core of how secure people feel in their own homes and communities.”
In response to concerns that shoddy investigations mean victims “aren’t receiving the justice they deserve,” he said that the low charging rates were undermining public faith in the police. He thus ordered a “back-to-basics” approach.
The Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary conducted a damning assessment that concluded that the low billing rates are “unacceptable and unsustainable.”
Its shocking assessment coincides with growing worries that police are focusing too much on “woke” problems and insufficiently on crimes that destroy people’s lives.
The success rates for filing charges in connection with thefts, robberies, and break-ins varied significantly from force to force, according to the study, creating an undesirable “postcode lottery” for victims.
It cited a dearth of detectives at the federal level as well as a sizable number of inexperienced officers as contributing factors.
The study also mentioned pressure on 999 call takers, which indicates that some merely collected the barest amount of data from victims.
Inspectors discovered that call handlers failed to provide victims with any advice on crime scene preservation in 71% of burglary complaints, which might result in the loss of important forensic evidence.
“A shortage of experienced cops means that too often, these crimes are being badly investigated and are not appropriately overseen,” said Mr. Cooke. “This is often because supervisors themselves are inexperienced and overworked.”
Nearly one-third of officers in England and Wales had less than five years of experience, yet the research claims that in one-third of those situations, there was inadequate supervision, which led to the loss of possibilities for collecting information and connecting cases.
Due to statutory time constraints, some forces may take up to six months to identify fingerprints, making it impossible to file charges in magistrates’ courts and thereby ending the investigation.
Additionally, the audit discovered that approximately half of the investigations did not meet the minimal standards required by the victims’ code of practise.
The public’s trust in the police’s capacity to keep them safe is directly impacted by this problem, according to Mr. Cooke, who said that there has to be a determined effort to fix it.
Some victims are now more likely than others to get a full inquiry by their police, depending on where in England and Wales they reside. It is impossible to justify this postcode lottery.
The public may be reassured that the police are taking action, according to Mr. Cooke, by taking little steps like physically visiting a burglary victim.
One of the report’s suggestions is for the police to make sure crime-scene management procedures are up to par by next March.
Additionally, the forces should guarantee that managers are equipped with the necessary skills to conduct effective investigations.