12 February 2023 , 17:42
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The mum of an 11-year-old boy who lost a finger while allegedly running away from school bullies is furious the police plan to take no further action.
Shantal Bailey said she is "overwhelmingly disappointed", while pointing out her son Raheem has been left with a life-changing injury.
The boy is said to have suffered the injury while climbing a fence at Abertillery Learning Community in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, last May.
His mum said he was attacked by other kids and fled in terror.
Doctors were later forced to amputate his finger.
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Shantal said her son is the "victim" and has been left traumatised.
Gwent Police said its investigation showed Raheem left the school premises of his own accord and no-one else was involved.
Raheem was allegedly fleeing bullies when he injured his hand, his mum says (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)Frances Swaine, solicitor from law firm Leigh Day, which is representing Raheem’s family, said Shantal will be making a complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and is also considering making a civil claim against the school for negligence.
The frustrated mum told WalesOnline: “I am overwhelmingly disappointed by the police’s decision to take no further action in Raheem’s case.
"Although the police had indicated to me that this was the likely outcome, I feel that their statement makes it clear that they have taken at face value all other versions of events other than Raheem’s.
“He is the victim in this and has been left with a life-changing injury. My son is still traumatised by what happened to him and has a permanent physical reminder of the torment he suffered that day.”
The incident occurred on the premises of Abertillery Learning Community School (Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures)Shantal claimed: “The events of that day followed a sustained campaign of bullying at the school over the preceding months and a previous experience that had taught him that reporting to a teacher would not make a difference.
"To state that no others were involved in what happened to Raheem is a complete insult and the police’s point about him leaving the school of his own accord is irrelevant.
“It has never been in question that Raheem chose to leave the school, however, he did this in a state of sheer panic and despair, which left him feeling as if he had no option other than to leave the school grounds by any means necessary.
"It is the altercation that caused him to flee the school in terror, and how he was allowed to do so unchecked and unchallenged by any responsible adult, that need to be addressed.”
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Raheem is said to have been traumatised by what happened (WalesOnline/Rob Browne)Blaenau Gwent Council has said it will carry out an independent inquiry into the incident, which Shantal said she welcomed but was disappointed she hadn't heard this directly.
A fundraising campaign following the amputation raised £107,000 in donations for Raheem’s treatment.
Shantal is now looking into having a prosthetic fitted for her son.
She said he had mostly accepted his “new normal” but he occasionally got down.
In a statement, police said it had received a report of an 11-year-old boy being assaulted at a school in Abertillery on May 17, 2022.
Officers interviewed multiple people under caution and viewed CCTV footage.
The force went on the assure it had undertaken a "detailed and thorough" investigation but confirmed it would not be taking further action.
Having worked alongside the school and council, it added: "We all remain committed to keeping children safe.”
A statement from Blaenau Gwent Council said the school had “fully supported” the investigation and a subsequent independent review to identify what lessons could be learned.
It added that it had been an “extremely difficult” time for all involved, saying the incident "unfortunately led to widespread commentary" online which "fuelled unhelpful speculation".