Police hunt adults who forced screaming children to fight in brutal YouTube 'happy-slapping' film
Last updated at 15:02pm on 26th March 2008
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=545794&in_page_id=1770
Egged on by an adult with a video camera, two weeping schoolboys punch, kick and head-butt each other in a sick video posted on YouTube.
Brutal scenes on the website show one of the children screaming as he is repeatedly punched before having his head stamped on as he lies cowering next to a bed.
The same boy is later shown on his feet delivering a sickening head-butt to his friend as the sniggering adult cameraman comments: "Billy's getting gangster."
Sickening: The unidentified boys fight as an adult goads them, 'Stop hugging each other, little bitches'
Police are today hunting the amateur film maker, who is also heard ordering the boys - aged between 10 and 12 - to "smack the s*** out of each other."
A brief lull in the violence sees him goad them on, saying: "Stop hugging each other, little bitches."
The scene of the video - entitled Lethal Fight (Crawley) - is a darkened bedroom, thought to be in the West Sussex town.
One of the boys is heard chanting a football chant, "Crawley, Crawley Town", as he prepares to rain blows on his opponent.
The adult chuckles when one of the children starts crying as the violence escalates.
The other child then laughs and says "He's crying" after punching the other child in the face.
Police and social services are studying footage to see if they can identify the children.
Inspector Mark Piper of Sussex Police said: "We take very seriously any situation where young children are subjected to violence and appeal to anyone who can assist us with the identification of the people involved."
A West Sussex County Council spokesman said: "The pictures will be forwarded to the appropriate Child Care Team to see if the children in the films are known to us.
"The welfare of children is paramount to our Children and Young People's Services and if they are known to us we will take whatever action is appropriate."
The Brighton Argus today offered a £1,000 reward for information leading to a successful prosecution.
Comments posted by shocked visitors to the site express disgust at the scenes.
One reads: "Who is this sicko? No wonder kids are involved in street violence when they're encouraged to do it in their own home."
Another said: "Horrifying. This has to be taken down. I'm a mum and I can't believe I'm seeing this."
YouTube has removed the video from its website and is helping with investigations.
A spokesman said: "YouTube is a community site used by millions of people in very positive ways.
"Sadly, as with any form of communication, there is a tiny minority of people who try to break the rules.
"On YouTube, these rules prohibit content like pornography or gratuitous violence.
"If the content breaks our terms then we remove it, and if a user repeatedly breaks the rules we disable their account."
Children's charities today condemned the footage.
An NSPCC spokesman said: "Fostering aggression between children is totally unacceptable."
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