Two 11-year-old boys referred to Youth Offending Team after playground hate crime in Chorley, England, United Kingdom

Two 11-year-old boys have been referred to the Youth Offending Team after a six-year-old boy was racially assaulted at a playground in Chorley, Lancashire, according to Lancashire Police.

The incident happened at around 5pm on Sunday, September 5, at Harpers Lane Recreation Ground, where the six-year-old was approached by the two older boys. The boys wrote the N-word on the younger boy’s forehead and arm using permanent markers, and also scrawled the word on a slide in the play area.

The child’s mother reported the incident to Lancashire Police, who said they were treating it “extremely seriously”. The force said officers visited local schools and carried out door-to-door enquiries to identify the two boys.

An 11-year-old boy was later arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated assault and criminal damage. A second boy, also 11, was identified and interviewed by officers.

In an update, Lancashire Police said both boys had been “spoken to” and have since been referred to the Youth Offending Team. A force spokesperson said the team “will determine on an appropriate disposal.” The source states that youth offending teams operate independently from the police and courts, and work with young people who get into trouble with the law to address the root causes of their behaviour and prevent reoffending.

The source does not report any charge, plea, court appearance, or sentence for either boy.

A six-year-old’s safety in a public play area is the responsibility of the older children and adults around him, a duty to protect the vulnerable (Mark 9:42).

Source: Read the original report