How could they hurt my little boy

Sunday was a day that my little man is likely to remember for years to come!

Sadly this is not because yesterday was a special day, it wasn’t his birthday, he didn’t attend an exciting event or take part in a fun-filled activity!

No he was assaulted by teenage boys while at the local park with his friend and friends mother!

Now do you understand why he will remember yesterday for years to come?

I didn’t expect the loud knock at my front door! You see my daughter was with my mother who had taken her out for the day, Little man was at the park with our neighbour and her son (little man’s one true friend), having left the door a jar while I was upstairs with my 15 month old I knew the children would just walk in without knocking if they were to return! I didn’t expect anyone else that Sunday afternoon. I instantly knew I didn’t know the person stood on the other-side of my front door without even having opened it! Whoever was there was knocking on the glass window pane in the door instead of using the knocker.

Opening the door my face fell, stood before me was a blonde woman dressed in a police uniform. A thousand things flashed through my mind at once and before anything more was said I already felt like throwing up. No one wants to see a copper stood at their door. The police woman asked, “does a Giovanni Sarcone live at this address?”

Of course my first thought was that they are looking for his father given little man has his fathers name it seemed more likely as what would they won’t with my ten year old boy? When I stated no the police lady rose her brow and displayed an expression of confusion across her face. She then said, ” the child has claimed this to be his address!” My knees wobbled beneath me, I must have turned a ghostly shade of White as she asked me if I felt OK. I explained that I thought they were referring to little man’s father who has the same name, but lives a few roads down with his mother. I then felt my head spin as I asked where my son was?

The police woman who was very nice explain that my son was still at the local park with his friend and his mother, he was safe and would be back shortly. At this point I felt a gush of relief, but she then went on to tell me that an incident had occurred and unfortunately my son had been assaulted by teenage boys.

I felt numb and sick with shock, turns out my ten year old had been playing with his friend and another little boy. As many may know little man doesn’t have the greatest play skills. He was playing police which mainly consists of a lot of shouting on his part. Some older boys around his own age came over and requested that little man didn’t play with their brother anymore. Little man was confused and asked why? the boys told him because he was Ginger and talked funny! Little man told them that he didn’t speak as funny as them and he hated their Irish accent as they spoke like Mr Xxxxxx who is his old primary school head teacher who he dislikes a great deal. They continued to bully him which lead him to call them a name containing a swear word.

This resulted in the boys leaving the park only to come back with their even older brothers. These were teenagers who were at least eighteen years old. One walked towards my son with a stick as if he was going to hit him with it. The stick was dropped on the ground as the teenage boy decided to punch my son in his stomach instead. He punched my son four or five times, this eighteen year old boy hurt my baby, my ‘ten year old baby’

The police woman told me his friends mum had ran over and grabbed my son and tried to get him into her car in a bid to get him to safety. A member of the public (a young guy) witnessed what was taking place and set chase after the Yobs as they run off. This guy also called 999 resulting in the police arriving at the scene very quickly. It was said ‘by his friend’ that the boy hit him four or five times in the stomach, he said my son didn’t flinch, just stood there making a clicking sound with his tongue.

When the incident was over and the police were on site it was only then little man had a meltdown! However this was not over the fact he had just been punched by a eighteen year old lad while a large number of his mates egged him on, but due to the police wanting to talk with him. He started screaming “please don’t arrest me, please” while crying and trying to get away from the police woman. After some time she Managed to calm him down she then asked him his name and radioed through his details. It was only then she established he had Aspergers. Lucky for us this was on file as he had wondered off age 7 where he put himself on the 202 bus (buses being his special interest) after we explained to the police our son could possibly be on a bus they radioed through to the bus company where they made contact with every bus driver in the southeast London area. Within ten minutes the police had a sighting of my son on the 202 bus one of his favorites.

The police woman told me if his AS hadn’t been on file then they would of been concerned with his reaction to them. She also stated that he refused to be touched or show the police officers his stomach. She said he wouldn’t let them bring him back requesting his friends mother return him in her car. I highlighted the fact he looked like an everyday normal boy and that to most his autism could not be seen, with some just assuming his a little ‘odd’ to which the police officer agreed. She advised my son and neighbour to call the police if they returned. However there wasn’t much more they could do what with little man’s dislike towards the police it would be hard to catch and charge them.

Of course I was livid. I was in a state of shock which quickly turned to anger and worry. When she had left I sat on the stairs with my head in my hands and just cried till I could cry no more. When little man returned he wouldn’t really discuss it, he claimed it didn’t hurt so doesn’t matter. He later told me that he was very scared at the time but just wants to forget it now. I just don’t think it’s gonna be that easy. I’m already overcautious when it comes to him going out without me, now I feel to never let him out my sight again.

Since the incident Little man has been acting as a very angry child and yesterday he had a meltdown at the supermarket where he punched me in my side. I don’t know if he understands the seriousness of what happened. I’m in a state of bafflement at how these teenagers think it’s Ok to do such a thing to a ten year old with or without autism/special needs.

Right now I’m very unsure what to do. The police catching the low life scum that done this seems pretty unlikely. I know two wrongs don’t make a right but right now, if given the chance I would love to lay a few punches of my own into the stomaches of the scum bags that hurt my son and see just how they like that!

google image.