'Bullied' boy admits he belongs to a group

A recent video clip showing a teen being beaten by two other boys at a staircase landing has sparked online outrage over bullying.

But there is more to the case than meets the eye, The New Paper learnt yesterday, after speaking to the victim and one of his attackers.

The incident occurred at about 10pm on Saturday, on the eighth storey of a block of flats in Potong Pasir.

The 22-second video clip begins with a teenager in a red shirt punching a boy in a black T-shirt who does not retaliate.

The victim tries to shield his face and body. But he is later struck repeatedly by a boy wearing a white hockey jersey emblazoned with Saints 33 on the back.

VIOLENT: Screen grabs of the video, which shows one attacker in a red shirt punching the victim. Another attacker in a hockey jersey then hits the victim and kicks him. After that, the red-shirted attacker leaps through the air and stamps on the victim.  PHOTOS: FACEBOOK / BHAI HAFIZ ANGULLIA

At one point, the boy in red is seen leaping through the air to stamp on the victim, who is on the floor and screaming in pain.

As of midnight yesterday, the clip had received more than a million views and 36,000 shares on Facebook.

Most of the netizens called for the attackers to be brought to justice. (See report on facing page.)

VIOLENT: Screen grabs of the video, which shows one attacker in a red shirt punching the victim. Another attacker in a hockey jersey then hits the victim and kicks him. After that, the red-shirted attacker leaps through the air and stamps on the victim.  PHOTOS: FACEBOOK / BHAI HAFIZ ANGULLIA

Though the boys involved have been identified online, TNP is not doing so because they are minors.

When TNP met the victim and his mother in their flat in Potong Pasir yesterday, he said that he hung out with a group while his attackers belonged to another group.

He knows his attackers, who go to a different school, because they grew up together in the same estate.

VIOLENT: Screen grabs of the video, which shows one attacker in a red shirt punching the victim. Another attacker in a hockey jersey then hits the victim and kicks him. After that, the red-shirted attacker leaps through the air and stamps on the victim.  PHOTOS: FACEBOOK / BHAI HAFIZ ANGULLIA

He said he was still in pain from his injuries in the attack.

Showing TNP his swollen left thigh and superficial injuries on both knees, the Secondary 2 student said: "There was no point fighting back, I was outnumbered."

Clarifying that it was not a case of bullying, he said he had met his attackers to settle "some issues", but declined to elaborate.

The boy, who gave a statement to the police on Sunday, added: "I'm not angry at him (the boy who stamped on his left thigh). It has already happened."

ATTACKER SAYS

The attacker in the hockey jersey told TNP over the phone yesterday evening that the victim had been provoking him.

Insisting that he did not belong to any group, the Secondary 3 student said: "I know I lost it (when I attacked him).

"But he kept boasting he belonged to a big group. And he also said insulting things about me and my family."

The attacker claimed that the victim had told him he could mobilise 20 people to their meeting and "confirmed I would die".

So he called five friends to join him, expecting to meet a huge group. But the victim turned up with only two friends.

Only the three teens in the video were involved in the incident. The others only stood and watched.

He said that after the attack was over, he asked the victim if he was "okay" .

"We grew up together playing basketball and football. I knew he has a back injury," he said.

The injured boy limped to the lift with his friends' help while the teen in the jersey took the stairs alone.

His friends also left, and some of them even took the same lift down as the victim and his friends.

The principal of the attackers' school said she was "aware of the incident and that some of the students involved are from our school".

She told TNP in an e-mail: "We take all incidents of fighting seriously, and will continue to educate our students on anger management and appropriate behaviour.

"The school is working with the police in their investigation and therefore is unable to comment further."

The Ministry of Education also said it was aware of the incident, but was unable to comment because of the police investigation.

The victim's mother told TNP she was shocked when she learnt the next day what had happened. (See report, right.).

She claimed the attacker in the jersey had visited her flat to "ask for the matter to be dropped".

When told of this, he claimed it was not true.

He said: "On Monday, I went to apologise to the victim and his mother. A woman at the door told me not to contact them any more as it was now a police case."

He said he had given two police statements so far.

One of his schoolmates, who had gone to watch the "settlement talk", said the police had also called him to give a statement.

He told TNP: "I was playing basketball in the estate when I stupidly agreed to accompany the boys to the meeting. I didn't know (things would) happen like that."

In reply to TNP's queries, a police spokesman said: "The police take a stern view of lawless and violent public behaviour, which could threaten the sense of safety and security in the community.

"Any person who resorts to violence and riotous behaviour will be dealt with severely, in accordance with the law."