WARNING: This story contains graphic images that may disturb some viewers.
A mother of a nine-year-old boy with autism says she’s “absolutely heartbroken” after he was impaled with a large nail in his head by bullies who threw a wooden plank at him earlier this week.
The mother of four, from the town of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England, shared the heartbreaking story along with a number of graphic photos of Romeo’s injury on Facebook on Sunday.
Natasha Chambers’ family had been walking home from her mother’s house that day when Romeo lagged behind. When Chambers’ husband, Craig Smith, went back to find him, he was met with an awful sight.
“(Romeo) was actually hanging in a tree with three lads around him, bullying him, calling him names, holding sticks, threatening him,” Chambers told CTVNews.ca. “Luckily, his dad got him down from the tree.”
But when the pair turned to walk away, that’s when one of Romeo’s tormentors threw a wooden plank with a large nail in it.
“The nail embedded into his head,” Chambers said. “It was horrible. He came running down the path with his dad, and it was pouring blood.”
The boy’s parents rushed him to hospital where he waited in the emergency room with the nail and wooden board still attached to him. Doctors were able to remove the nail, which had bent on impact. Luckily, neither Romeo’s skull nor brain was pierced.
“I'm absolutely fuming,” Chambers wrote on Facebook after the assault. “(I) can't stand bullies especially when they are bullying someone who is younger and has autism... absolutely heartbroken.”
Since the attack, Romeo has been staying at home and taking antibiotics.
“He’s trying to carry on as normal,” Chambers said. “But he’s still quite traumatized from it and scared.”
Chambers said that her son knew the older children, who, according to her, are ages, 10, 11 and 12.
“They’re not from his school but they were supposed to be friends,” Chambers said. “I found out that the bullying has been going on for a few months, but obviously Romeo with having autism has not expressed that to me and he’s just been accepting it.”
Only one of the three children has come by to apologize, Chambers added. Shockingly, one mother even refused to have her child apologize.
“His parents mentioned that their child was there but was not involved and not willing to pay penance,” Chambers said in disbelief. “She just thinks that her child was there but didn’t throw the plank of wood, so everything’s okay. But he was involved in the bullying, so it’s not okay... it just goes to show what type of upbringing that those children are having.”
Chambers said that, if anything, she hopes Romeo’s story will create more awareness about bullying.
“Romeo’s life was put at risk due the fact that he was being bullied,” Chambers said. “I’ve just told Romeo that obviously he needs to speak out about it and not keep it inside… He’s quite vulnerable due to his autism, and he just took it, he just accepted it.”
