Two teens plead guilty to assaulting black girl outside school in Snapchat video
Two teenagers have admitted assaulting a black schoolgirl in an attack which was filmed and uploaded to social media.
The clip, in which a 15-year-old girl’s hair was pulled as she was punched and kicked, went viral after appearing on Snapchat.
The assault happened outside Thomas Knyvett College in Ashford, Surrey, on February 6 and adults could be heard egging on the two attackers. Five people were arrested in connection with the attack.
The two attackers, both aged 16 and who cannot be legally named due to their age, appeared at Guildford youth court yesterday afternoon.
They both pleaded guilty to one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. One defendant also pleaded guilty to assaulting a second teenage girl by beating on the same day.
The second defendant pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm on that day, and sending a threatening message to the black girl on Snapchat two days before.
The two defendants spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses before entering their pleas.
Magistrates were shown video of the assault, where the second defendant is alleged to have repeatedly called the girl a ‘monkey’ and said they were going to ‘rip a dreadlock out of your big fat head’.
She denies that she was the one making the threats.
Prosecutor Amanda Burrows said the teenager who admitted both charges she faced was being ‘encouraged to get involved’ after she pulled back but was ‘certainly involved’ at the beginning.
Video showed that the defendant was told ‘get on her’ and ‘that’s it, that’s it’ by an adult.
The second victim said in an impact statement that she saw the same defendant assault the first victim while her co-defendant hit her, kicked her in the neck and pulled her hair out.
The girl also said one defendant dragged her onto the floor and kicked her in the thighs for around five minutes while she was on the floor.
The black pupil did not provide a victim impact statement but pictures shown in court revealed her braided hair had been pulled out at the scalp and her eyes were bruised.
The response of staff led to a backlash and criticism by MPs and a protest was held outside the school two days after the attack happened.
Chairwoman of the bench Sue Hodnett bailed the defendant who admitted all charges until she is sentenced at the same court on November 22.
The other defendant, who was also bailed, will stand trial on a date to be fixed and be sentenced for the offence she admitted later.
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