Coventry mum slams 'lack of police action' after vicious attack on her teenage son

She claims she was told the reported delay was due to officers being at the Commonwealth Games



The mum of a 15-year-old boy badly injured in a vicious street attack has hit out at what she claims is a shocking lack of action from police. Emergency services, including police and ambulance crews, were called to reports of an assault in a quiet street in Ernesford on Saturday, August 6.

The victim, who also had his phone and bag stolen, suffered facial injuries in the attack at about 3pm. It's claimed a man attacked him from behind, punching and kicking him unconscious.

The 15-year-old was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital. His mum says she has gone days without hearing from police.

The mum, whom CoventryLive have chosen not to name, says she spent hours on hold over the phone on Monday. She claims she was told the delay had been due to a lot of officers being at the Commonwealth Games.

"I spent hours on hold to 101 and the online chat and was told the officers were at the Commonwealth Games," she said. "I'm just really angry.

"I can't believe anyone would act like that. He (the attacker) approached my son from behind.

"My son was begging him to stop, calling him 'sir' even while he was hitting him and smashing his head off the floor. To me that is attempted murder - it's a miracle my son is not hurt worse.

"My son managed to stumble to one of the neighbours living in the street, who thankfully took him in and called an ambulance. He was taken to A&E and had x-rays.

"He has two black eyes, two blue ears, his ribs are bruised and he's been left black and blue all over. But the mental scars are worse."

The attack happened just as the family were preparing to go on holiday to Weymouth. The victim's mum has been doing her own detective work and trying desperately to get police to act while she is away.

She added: "He (the attacker) stole my son's phone, but it has the Find My iPhone app so I managed to trace it to the street where he lives. I took a screenshot and sent it to the police. Then a few hours later the phone had been dumped at the Alan Higgs Centre.

"My son needs to see that actions like this face repercussions - you can't just go around beating children up. I'm raising him to behave right, but if they see things like this happening without action being taken, what sort of message is that? I need my son to have some reassurance."

West Midlands Police has been asked about its response to the matter and the claim a call handler had blamed the reported delay on the Commonwealth Games.

There was an almost identical attack in Radford Road two months earlier!

See: Teenage boy in hospital after being found with significant head injuries in Coventry