A teenager has described how he used skills learned through martial arts training to defend himself during an alleged assault involving a group of youths. The 16-year-old also told HI HUB that one of the alleged perpetrators used a racial slur during the incident.
The brave teen’s parents agreed he could speak to HI HUB to raise awareness about what happened on the afternoon of Father’s Day (21 June) – but the family’s identity is being protected for their safety.
When recalling Sunday’s experience, the teen said: “I was cycling with my friend into town and we came across three boys also on bikes, two in the cycle lane and one on the road slowing down the traffic. Drivers were sounding their horns to encourage him out of the way.
“We overtook them, they weren’t happy about this and I was slapped over the head which cut me off into an area outside the Rec. My friend passed them as he has a faster bike but I had to stop. I knew the situation was getting dangerous and that I had to get away.
“I was then attacked. One of the boys said he was going to slit my throat and cut my head off. I thought he could’ve had a knife though I didn’t see one. Another called me a racial slur, and I was hit on the back of the head and kicked. Another two came past and joined them – so it ended up being five of them against me and my friend.
“At Taekwondo, we learn about group sparring with two or three people fighting at once and luckily I was able to use those skills to defend myself. Without that knowledge, I feel the outcome could have been much more serious.”
Witness appeal
The incident happened at around 2:30pm mainly in the area around Bridge Road / B1049 near the Rec playground. Towards the end, the teen and his friend ran to the Histon Football Club stadium.
The teen who was attacked now has bruises on his face and legs. His friend called the police at the time, and two officers attended.
Police have raised the incident as a crime of actual bodily harm, and a spokesperson said officers “are considering it may have been racially motivated as part of the investigation”.
A Cambridgeshire Constabulary spokesperson said: “An investigation is on-going and officers are due to make contact with the victim.
“Anyone who was in the Bridge Road area of Impington, between 2pm and 3pm on Sunday, and has any information or CCTV and dashcam footage, should use reference 35/46586/26 and report it through the force website.”
All five in the group were on bikes and are thought to be aged between 14 and 18.
The victim had a follow up call with Cambridgeshire Constabulary yesterday (Wednesday) morning.
‘Help lacking’
The family has since received a message from one driver who said they had stopped and sounded their vehicle’s horn to try and disperse the altercation. However, they remain concerned their son feels help was lacking from bystanders.
He said: “I now realise the drivers were perhaps trying to scare them off. But throughout the attack, I made eye contact with multiple adults and my friend and I were shouting for help.
“Obviously, I don’t expect people to put themselves into danger but at the time, it felt very isolating to think nobody was willing to help us.”
He added: “I also feel bad for my friend who also had his bike stolen. Two other bikes were left at the scene by the group. I don’t know what happened to them because they weren’t there when I returned.”
The teen says he saw the group again travelling on a bus while he was walking through the village on Monday evening (22 June). He said: “I am terrified because they were taunting me. They now recognise me, and I’m really worried about what could happen if I come across them again.”
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact Cambridgeshire Police through its website, stating the crime reference number 35/46586/26.
READ MORE: Police investigating link between recent village incidents
