Tough penalties needed over bullying attacks footage, mum says

Libbie's mum Chantelle said those who film and upload attacks should face tougher punishments

A mother has called for tough penalties for people who share bullying footage online after a film of an attack on her autistic daughter was posted online.

Footage of Libbie being punched and kicked by schoolchildren in Denton, Tameside, on 24 January was shared by her attackers on social media.

Her mum Chantelle said it being recorded was the "worst part of it".

Police said the attack, which left the 11-year-old with spinal injuries and two black eyes, was being investigated.

Chantelle said she was "absolutely devastated" when she found out Libbie had been attacked, but "having to see it and it being recorded... that's the worst part of it".

She said she was astounded that sharing such footage online was not a criminal offence and she hoped she could change that.

"For that to not even be against the law, that's what we want to try and change, some sort of regulations or laws about recording it," she said.

'Unacceptable and violent'

She said she believed that the children who filmed the attack were equally as culpable as the ones who were involved in it "if they can stand and watch and record and not help".

"They're just as bad to me, if not worse," she said.

Libbie said what happened had left her "petrified".

"I didn't leave the house until last week," she said. "I was scared of bumping into the people who did it."

She added that she still wanted to go to school, but did not want to return to where she was before.

"I don't feel I would ever feel safe there again," she said.

A representative of her school said it was working with police and Libbie's family to investigate the "unacceptable and violent attack".

They said if student conduct was "found to fall below an acceptable standard", the school would "respond robustly using the full range of sanctions contained in our behaviour policy".

Greater Manchester Police said officers were investigating the attack and the footage, but no arrests had been made.