Dad's fury over threat to daughter

A FATHER today told of his anger after claiming three young boys got away with threatening his eight-year-old daughter at knife-point.

Barry Scott, 40, says his little girl has been left traumatised by the incident in which the three boys, an eight-year-old and two nine-year-olds, held a letter opener to her face and threatened to kill her unless she handed over her mobile phone.

Although the incident was reported to police, the boys cannot be prosecuted because they are under the age of criminality.

Meanwhile, the school they attend, Whitehouse Junior, cannot expel them because it did not happen during school hours.

Both the police and the school say the matter has been dealt with appropriately.

The incident happened at around 5pm on March 30 as the girl, also a pupil at the school, was playing with friends in Wexford Road, Ipswich.

The boys approached her before one held the letter opener to her neck and demanded the mobile phone.

Another of the trio reportedly said: “If you don't hand over your phone, we are going to kill you.”

Mr Scott said: “It may have happened outside school but the boys were in their school uniform.

“I understand if the kids are under age they cannot be prosecuted but I do not understand why my daughter is forced to see them every day because she goes to the same school.”

Mr Scott said the school had made the boys write an apology note.

However, he said: “I am totally disgusted by it.

“She is normally quite a proud eight-year-old but the other day when we walked passed the home of one of the boys, she held my hand and I think that shows how much it has affected her. It was terrifying for her.

“The parents are responsible for them and should be spoken to officially.”

Liz Gerrie, Whitehouse Junior School headteacher, said: “It has been dealt with in the school. We dealt with it in the way we thought appropriate.”

She said the boys involved had not been excluded because it did not happen during school hours and added that the school was in talks with other agencies over the matter.

A Suffolk Police spokeswoman said: “The boys are under the criminal age of responsibility.

“Officers have spoken to their appropriate adults and given them words of strong advice. Their details have been formally recorded. “The school was contacted by us.”

The family of one of boys involved did not want to make any comment about the incident.

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