RACE STORM
Family of girl ‘beaten in racist attack’ near school calls for teachers to be sacked as 5, including girls, 11, arrested
THE family of a teenager viciously attacked near her school want teachers sacked for allegedly allowing the group assault to happen.
Violence, described by police as racially aggravated, erupted outside Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, Surrey, on Monday afternoon.
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Shocking footage shows a mob brutally assaulting their victims in the middle of the road while being egged on by onlookers yelling "get her" and "down her".
A girl, 15, allegedly had nine braids pulled from her head as she was dragged across the tarmac, kicked and punched.
She and the other victim, also 15, received medical treatment in hospital.
Five people have been arrested, including two 11-year-old girls, a 16-year-old girl, a woman, 39, and a man, 43.
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A sixth suspect, a 15-year-old girl, is being urged to hand herself in.
A relative of one of the victims claims teachers did little to stop the ambush at around 2.30pm on February 6.
She is calling for staff members who were present at the time, including the headteacher, to lose their jobs.
The woman told at a demonstration outside the school gates: "I want them to get rid of those teachers [in the video] and I want them to present us with their anti-racism policy.
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"That's the thing, it's not a serious issue in this neighbourhood. There's not enough black people.
"I asked the headteacher, 'do you know what hurt me the most in that video?' I was asking who's going to stop it.
"Eventually I told him, 'when you walked into the shot, you strolled in and you even allowed one more punch'."
The family member said the victim, who was reportedly helping her friend at the time, is feeling "very lost and very sad".
"She said, 'nobody helped me and one of the teachers laughed at me with my braids on the floor'," they added.
Her demands have been echoed by rapper Dave, who said: "We will wait outside your college grounds until every member of staff in the video is sacked.
"Do the right thing before we force you to.
"We need the principal out of that job ASAP."
'DISTRESSING' INCIDENT
Headteacher Richard Beeson insisted student safety was a top priority.
He said: "We can assure you that we are taking all necessary steps to ensure this isolated incident is dealt with and that student safety is our paramount concern."
Police described the "distressing" incident as a "serious racially aggravated assault".
Four arrests were made on suspicion of attempted racially aggravated grievous bodily harm, while two were for child neglect and intentionally encouraging and assisting the commission of an indictable only offence.
Another was on suspicion of malicious communications.
Insp Maxine Cilia, of Surrey Police, who urged people not to share footage of the attack online, said: "I was shocked to see some of the video footage of this fight and the level of violence from young people outside one of our local schools.
"Every schoolchild should feel safe in the local community and not the target of any kind of violence as they leave school premises.
"Police are now investigating this incident and gathering further evidence with the full co-operation of the school.
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"There will be extra patrols in this local area for reassurance and to enable local people to speak with officers."
Anyone with dashcam footage, video of the assault or any other information should contact the force quoting PR/45230014226.
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