A BOY of 11 has been arrested on suspicion of racially taunting and attacking another pupil in a primary school playground.
Police have interviewed two other youngsters from the same school in connection with an alleged six-month campaign of racist abuse against the same child, an 11-year-old Asian boy.
Officers were called in to investigate at the primary in Irlam after the victim suffered a bruised leg on January 26. It is alleged he was called a 'P***' during the incident.
The victim said that racist comments were also made to him during the six months before the incident.
Officers arrested a boy of 11 on suspicion of a racially-aggravated assault. He was released on bail pending further inquiries.
It is understood that lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service are considering whether there is enough evidence to charge him. Police interviewed two other boys, aged 10 and 11, under caution.
A spokesman said the two had not been arrested. Their parents were told they could also face further action.
Racism policy
The head of the school said: 'Racist remarks made against any pupil are taken extremely seriously and are always dealt with in accordance with the school's strict racism policy.
'We are confident we have thoroughly investigated the matter and have had no further complaints from the pupil or parents.
'We shall, however, work with police in any investigations they wish to pursue.'
The mother of the boy of 10 ten who was interviewed has told the Manchester Evening News she fears her son could be prosecuted and has insisted it was merely a playground squabble.
She said officers visited her home in Irlam last week following a complaint from the victim's parents.
The woman went by arrangement to Irlam police station on Tuesday night, where the youngster was interviewed.
She said she had taken her son out of the school in protest and to protect him.
Inquiries
She said: 'All kids have quarrels and squabbles. The school dealt with it fine. It was done with. They were friends again.'
She said her son was himself a victim and been temporarily excluded from the school three weeks ago 'for retaliating' but insisted he had not been in trouble before or since.
A statement released by Greater Manchester Police said: 'An 11-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of a racially-aggravated section 47 assault following an incident at a primary school in Irlam has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
'At approximately 10.20am On Thursday, January, 26, 2006, another 11-year-old boy suffered a bruised leg after being thrown to the floor.
It is believed racist comments were also made towards him over a six-month period.
'Two boys, aged 10 and 11, have also been interviewed under caution by police in relation to making racist comments over a period of six months towards the 11-year-old boy at the school.'
IS racism in the classroom a 'playground squabble' - or a police matter? Have your say.
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What we need to ask ourselves is if it was the other way round would it be treated as racism or a playground arguement.
the world has gone mad - what are they going to do this young lad?, public flogging for a chance remark??.
gmp have more pressing things to do than go round hounding young kids.
The school should deal with the incident and the police should find something more important to do,as usual totally over the top by the police.
11 year old kid! Clip him, get the 2 lads to sit down (mediated from a teacher) and discuss why he said it, explane the upset it has caused and sort it out! Good grief, kids are cruel, they jibe, they dont know the meaning of half of what they say. To involve the police (who are undermanned, over worked etc, etc, etc) is stupidity! This isnt racist, its children who dont know any better! Educate them, get them to challenge this kind of behaviour (on all sides) and move forward as a community. His remarks may alienate this young Asian lad, and the actions of the school involving the police may alienate the other boy! Well done, 2 angry young men at the age of 11 instead of sorting it out and educating them! Unreal...............................
Glad the police have too much time on their hands.
I wonder when they will get round to shifting the threating marauding gangs near me who are a real menace to society.
Great - now all these kids who are bullied through their entire school lives with no help from the teachers know what to do - Cry racism and not only will the school sit up and listen but apparently those honourable folk the police - who don't have anything better to do like catching scallies who beat people to death in the street just for looking at them - will also launch a full investigation. I need to get away from this country it's pathetic.
This matter should not be dealt with by the police it should be between the parents (the kid has more than likely heard them say it) and the head. The police should be out catching real criminals like the ones near me who beat us up if we look at them wrong and stab each other for the fun of it. I want to leave this country and go somewhere where there is a good judical system and people have RESPECT for each other.
People complain when the Police take no action against violent kids - and yet when they do take action, the same right wing "wind bags" still complain. [Why no calls for "the birch" in this case then???]
This matter should have been handled by teachers with a bit of initiative and by teaching the children about different races and cultures - so that they grow up more tolerant and understanding.
Unfortunately in this age of government micro-management and litigation had the school not told the police they would have been accused of a cover-up else sweeping the matter under the carpet.
Likewise if the police had just told the lad off they would have been accused of not "following the ethos of the macpherson report", accused of being racist and siding with a white youth - the poor Officer who attended and tried to deal with it with gentle words of advice would have been bollocked by his supervision for not arresting..."positive action". etc etc ...
To blame the Teachers and Police is to shoot the messenger - the Government are the ones who make the policy and are eager to leg up those that use their common sense and go against the edicts from above.
After a road rage incident I was racially abused - the police were round in 30-35 minutes. When my son was run over by a biker on a park it took over 2 1/2 hours, and only then after 3 phone calls and my husband "arresting" the culprit himself. Odd that isn't it.
Did anyone think that the parents may have gone to the school to address this problem and it failed to rectify it? What else are they mean't to do, speak to the kids parents who probably taught them the racist language? The were right to go to the police. On the scale of things your child coming home evey day in tears because of the colour of his skin ranks high to me. Or should nothing happen to the offender and wait until they create another Stephen Lawrence or Anthony Walker when they get older? People will always come out after such incidents and say,'I told you so'.If white kids are subject to such behaviour there is nothing to stop them from reporting it to the police if they are dissatisfied with the school.
I agree with comments made by 7501, arguably if one was feeling threatened or intimated then they can go to the police if they choose to. It's not about if it were a white child would they call it racist. A lot of white children get picked on by any children sometimes people like to take things out of porpotion. The fact remains they called the child names by it's ethnic background the school dealt with it and the police the fact that some type of physical abuse took place warranted such action and from this the whole picture was revealed. Come on now it doesn't just happen by words alone theres a bigger picture.
Everyone seems to be blaming the police for this but it isnt their fault. if the police are contacted then they have to act. Just like a previous post said, if the bobby didnt do something he would get it in the neck so it's a no win situation. If anyone is to blame it's the government, they are the ones who make the rules. They have blown things out of proportion. If a child calls another child a racist name then the government see it as more important then if you had your car damaged or broken into. The powers that be are too soft and are too willing to bow down to all these action groups you hear about. Common sense has gone out of the window.
i cant believe what i am reading this just shows you what sort of a country we live in. would the school or police be so interested and go to all this trouble if an overweight child was being bullyed.there was not this much done for the children that have been victims of happy slapping.It is disgusting that the police are being school monitors.I would not say this was a police matter the school excluded the child .so that should have been the end of it.
Telling the teacher would do what? We all know kids never pay attention or 'change' from a little telling of from the teachers. Getting the police involved not only made an example of the 10 year old child, but also his family. I wouldnt think any other child with the same mentality would want to share a similar opinion.
Many years ago in a notorious run down labour council estate I was violently attacked. The attacker was from ethnic mixed race. I could have made a big issue about that by going to the papers. But my mindset knew better. The point I am coming to is that the more publicity the papers feed on with racial tensions no matter what. The more racial tensions will raise thier ugly head. I was very lucky a coloured friend of mine came to my assistance otherwise I would not be here.
Sometimes we need common sense and need to back of powerfull local tensions the media capitalise on. If ever anyone had the moral high ground to make a point on race it was me that fatefull night when I nearly lost my life to a crazed drug taker high on serious drugs.
I totally agree that racism should be tackled efficiently and swiftly. The School and the parents should bear joint responsibility. I also agree that the police should be dealing with serious crimes like when my son was beat up by bully bouncers and not even arrested when identified. There are far too many stories similar to this that go sour.
ANON,I,VE REALY ENJOYED YOUR COMMENTS IN THE PAST,BUT YOU ARE WAY OFF ON THIS ONE ,COS YOU KNOW AS WELL AS 95% OF WHITE BRITAINS THAT RACISM ONLY WORKS ONE WAY , AN 11 YEAR OLD MAKES AN OFF THE CUFF REMARK ,AND IS ARRESTED ,A BAYING MOB MARCHES THROUGH LONDON SCREAMING DEATH TO ALL NON BELIEVERS IN ALLAH AND SWEET FA IS DONE ,HOW TOTALY PATHETIC,KEEP EM COMING ANON ,YOUR MATE COLIN .
I bet the police wouldn't have been intrested if shoe was on the other foot, one rule for one and one for another. England is not a Christian Country Nomore.
My niece (who's white) has been racially abused by a gang of Afro-British girls at her school since she started there at age 11.
She has also been physically attacked on a couple of occasions by an Afro-British boy, who was put up to it by the girls. When her mother regularly complains to the headmaster, she is told that there is nothing they can do about it, as it's not classed as 'racially' motivated because my niece is white.
I suggest that the headmaster - and all other headmasters and headmistresses, check the current legislation; if you are abused because of your racial background, then the police can get involved, although I think that in the case of these two young boys, where the victim's parents do not even seem to have complained to the school, then a good talking to could have done the trick.
Why is it, in a supposedly adult-oriented newspaper, the word 'paki' has to be asterisked out...? The same goes for 'nigger' whenever that is used. Of course I am against racism, but when you start censoring the words (which everyone knows anyway, so why bother?) then you just give them more power. Grow up MEN and treat your readership with the respect it deserves. Yes, it may be an offensive word, but it is part of the story you are reporting.
The UK has gone mad! Glad I left England, here in Hungary, they are only bothered about what time they finish work, how cold the beer is and how good looking the girls are! Untouched by such issues and its great! Leave now, England has gone mad (and to the dogs)!!!!!!!
hi anon ,have you ever thought of going into politics ,cos i,m sure your wise and truthful comments should be viewed by more than just men readers,keep up the good work ,your mate ,colin
Why is it that other races can protest about killing us & BEHEADING us. Yet we aren't even allowed to complain. Rise up against the oppression!
Racism is very much a learnt concept, you don't just become racist over night, and one of the places that racism is rife is in the school yard, you bring to school what you learn at home and kids learn mostly how to be racist at home, if their parents are racist or contemptuous of other races and religions then their kids will pick it up soon enough, it takes a rare child indeed to buck against their parents, friends, family etc. though I have seen it happen though not very often.
And racism against white children is just as bad as racism against a visible ethnic minority child and should be dealt with the same way, people are ignorant of the law when it comes to racism, it is not JUST about colour, it is also about nationality, and perceptions, and the white boy who racially abused the Asian boy needs to know what he has done is wrong (if he is guilty that is) and in turn the Asian boy needs to know that NOT all white people are racist.
Reading some of the comments that have been submitted makes me realise that the society we live in is racist and that most people are ignorant to the point of incredulity, comments such as ??oean 11 year old makes an off the cuff remark??? ??oeThe UK has gone mad,??? ??oeEngland is not a Christian Country any more???
And as for the stupid comment from Colin about sweet FA being done about the ??oebaying mob??? in London, are you so daft that you don??<sup>TM</sup>t think Special Branch, MI6 and such like knows EXACTLY who is doing what, where and when and that those people involved will find themselves at the end of a cleft stick at some point? People who were outraged by the depiction of the Prophet Mohammed have come out of the woodwork and have exposed themselves to the wrath of the British establishment, and by the way I certainly do not agree with people making any kind of death threats, I think it is totally and utterly appalling but I do know one thing, those people who dared to use their right to freedom of speech will at some point pay a price, whether it is a just price (for what they have done is not morally right) only time will tell.
And racism is a canker in society, and should be dealt with wherever it is be it in the playground, shops, businesses, parks etc, where the general public go wrong is that they make certain assumptions about racism, well racism can affect everyone, no matter what their colour, race, creed, faith or religion and that is a sad fact of 21st century life.