Police arrests teenage boys who 'covered disabled woman in flour and eggs' and posed for a shocking picture
British police arrested four teenage boys after they doused a disabled woman in flour and pelted her with eggs and then later took a celebratory picture. Reports state that they posted the picture on social media. The boys can be seen smiling in the picture as they pose behind a woman, who can be seen scared and cowering on a bench in a park. Police have also said that the four boys in the picture, between the ages 17 and 15, have been detained and bailed pending further inquiries.
The incident drew attention after the image was shared on social media by one of the members of the gang and it sparked outrage. The picture was reportedly taken in an estate in the Suffolk market town of Bury St Edmunds. The residents of the area have claimed that the youths in the picture are part of a group which had been terrorizing the residential area, according to the Daily Mail. Reports state that the victim in the picture suffers from severe mental health problems and is believed to be in her 40s.
A witness of the incident said that the victim had a "breakdown" at the park and reportedly shouted at the boys, who then retaliated by throwing eggs and flour at her. The Suffolk police officials said that the woman was left severely distressed, however, she did not sustain any physical injuries. The incident reportedly occurred at 5:30 pm on Friday last week.
Inspector Anthony Bridgland said: "This type of behavior is totally unacceptable and we are treating the matter seriously. We know this incident may have caused concern and anger both in the local community and online, but we would like to reassure everyone that we are tackling the matter robustly and supporting the victim."
While a local resident who lives in the area said that similar group of kids generally come together and hang around near the parks. "Groups of kids congregate in packs and hang around the parks and the shops. The truth is that there is nothing for these kids to do out here so they cause trouble. There are some boys who often gather in the park behind and people avoid them at all costs because you know it will lead to trouble," the resident added.
A friend of the victim, Katherine Brame, said that she had gone to check on her after the incident and added that she was "safe." Brame took to Twitter to express her sadness at the incident and said: "I have to speak out. Today’s incident has made me so sad and devastated. The lady in question needs her privacy and suffers from an unseen illness."
Meanwhile, one of the boys' father defended his son to The Sun saying that his child was just walking past and "he saw and thought it was going to be a fun picture, someone took it and spread it all over the country. He was making a stupid mistake and he was not involved with anything else." He further added: "He's sorry but he has not done anything." A step-mother of one of the 17-year-old boys also came forward after the attack and admitted he was being a "stupid boy". "He got caught up in it all, it was a stupid thing to do."