Two teens admit assaulting Black girl, 15, but deny it was a racist attack

26 October 2023 , 17:41

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The case as heard at Guildford Youth Court (Image: BPM MEDIA)

Two 16-year-old girls have admitted to inflicting actual bodily harm on a Black girl, 15, outside a school in an assault with footage that went viral on social media.

Magistrates at Guildford Youth Court were shown a clip that showed the Black pupil being punched, kicked and having her hair pulled while her attackers were egged on by adults. The second defendant is alleged to have repeatedly called the girl a ‘monkey’ and said they were going to ‘rip a dreadlock out of your big fat head’ in a video on popular messaging site Snapchat. She denies that she was the one making the threats.

The pair denied it was a racist attack and both pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm outside the school on February 6. One defendant also pleaded guilty to assaulting a second teenage girl by beating on the same day.

The second defendant also pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm on that day and sending a threatening message to the Black girl on Snapchat two days before. Due to their age, the pair cannot be legally named. The Black pupil did not provide a victim impact statement but pictures shown in court revealed her braided hair had been pulled out at the scalp and her eyes were bruised.

Prosecutor Amanda Burrows said the teenager who admitted both charges she faced was being ‘encouraged to get involved’ after she pulled back but was ‘certainly involved’ at the beginning. Video showed that the defendant was told ‘get on her’ and ‘that's it, that's it’ by an adult. The second victim said in an impact statement that she saw the same defendant assault the first victim while her co-defendant hit her, kicked her in the neck and pulled her hair out.

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After the attack, there was a huge backlash against the response of staff and a protest was held outside the school two days afterwards. Chairwoman of the bench Sue Hodnett bailed the defendant who admitted all charges until she is sentenced at the same court on November 22. The other defendant, who was also bailed, will stand trial on a date to be fixed and be sentenced for the offence she admitted later.

Gwyn Wright