by LAUREN CODLING
A SYRIAN refugee boy who was bullied and “waterboarded” at a Huddersfield school will relocate to a different institute in west Yorkshire, a lawyer representing him confirmed last week.
It was further announced that the boy’s family would pursue legal action against far-right activist Tommy Robinson after he “published lies” about their son, alleging the 15-year-old had been bullying female students at the school.
Last month, a video of the teenager, known only as Jamal, went viral, after it showed him being attacked by another student.
He has apparently suffered at the hands of bullies for two years since he moved to Huddersfield with his family.
There has been an outpouring of support for the student, including an online funding page which raised £158,089 to support Jamal and his family.
Last week, Eastern Eye spoke to Tasnime Akunjee, the lawyer representing Jamal and his family.
Revealing the family were coping “okay,” Akunjee confirmed that they were planning to relocate to a different area in west Yorkshire.
The family were taking time to make sure Jamal and his sister would be placed in a school which would be suitable for them.
Akunjee said he was in the process of collecting evidence against Ukip advisor Robinson,
who falsely accused Jamal of bullying his fellow students.
In another video – which also went viral – Robinson claimed the teenager had attacked
two schoolgirls.
When Akunjee wrote to Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, to inform him that legal action was being pursued against him, the English Defence League (EDL) founder apparently admitted it was fake news.
“Mr Yaxley-Lennon, rather than offer sympathy for a child victim or just stay quiet, took
the opportunity to publish lies about Jamal,” Akunjee said.
“He has attempted to create a racial division and has taken it upon himself to destroy and counter the narrative of this whole story.”
As Eastern Eye went to press on Tuesday (11), it was further reported that Robinson had been threatened with legal action after he posted a video identifying and interviewing the boy accused of bullying Jamal.
The alleged perpetrator has been reported for summons for an offence of assault ahead of a youth court appearance.
Admitting he had received death threats from Robinson’s supporters, Akunjee said the EDL founder’s involvement had made the situation “much more dangerous”.
“Stirring up bad feelings from the right wing toward a child is very scary for the child and the family involved,” he said.
The news comes as it was revealed that the number of pupils being excluded for racial bullying has risen.
Analysis by The Guardian showed that there were 4,590 cases of racial abuse among school students last year which warranted fixed or permanent exclusion, an increase from 2016, with 4,085 incidents.
Figures released by charity Childline last year revealed there had been more than 2,500 counselling sessions in the last three years about racial and faith-based bullying.
A variety of minority children, including those from a Muslim, Black and Sikh background, were among those who have contacted the helpline about the issue.
Commenting on the latest racial bullying figures, Akunjee said there was a “definite societal problem across the board in terms of a general rise of intolerance”.
“There has been a huge increase in hate crime in one year,” he added, referring to the latest Home Office statistics which showed there were 94,098 hate crime offences recorded
by police in England and Wales, 76 per cent of which were racially aggravated.
Chris Keates, the general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, said the “disturbing” rise of exclusions related to racial bullying showed these instances have become a “daily fact of life for far too many black and minority ethnic pupils and teachers”.
In response to the attack on Jamal, the home secretary Sajid Javid revealed he was also bullied due to his Asian heritage while at school and “punched to the ground”.
“When I was 11 at comprehensive school, I had a very similar incident and those memories flooded back to me,” he said.
Admitting that racist language was directed at him during his school years, Javid said he was surprised the UK had not moved forward.
“I really felt for the young boy who was involved [in the video],” he added.
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event