The mum of a Glasgow teenager who was brutally battered and beaten unconscious will this month attend the Scottish Parliament to discuss youth violence.
Abbie Jarvis was just 12-years-old when she was lured to a Drumchapel skatepark and set upon by another girl, on October 4 2022. Others watched on while filming the horrific attack on their phones.
It left the autistic schoolgirl, now 13, hospitalised for two days from her injuries and she has since been diagnosed with PTSD, the Record reports.
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Following the beating, outraged community campaigner, Alex O'Kane, launched Abbie's Petition - urging the Scottish Government to to address the disturbing culture of youth violence. Now, along with Mr O'Kane, Abbie's mum, Angela, has told how has been invited to a meeting with the Scottish Parliament in Milton on May 24.
It comes amid the Record's Our Kids ... Our Future campaign, which calls on the Scottish Government to ring-fence community funding for youths to ensure young people always have a safe place to go. Calls have also been made demanding social media giants to remove horrific online clips of attacks on teens before they go viral.
The Record also asks all adults in Scotland to play their part in ensuring the safety of kids by reporting sickening videos of attacks on youths to social media platforms.
Angela, 43, said: "It finally feels like we are being listened to and I'm more than happy to meet them. I will be making it clear how serious youth violence is and how much worse it will get if there are no consequences put in place.
"I want them to learn how detrimental violence is on its victims and how much it can change their lives. I'm hoping this is the start of a great shake-up with the current system. The current 'go soft' policy doesn't work - I hope this is the start of a new, better policy that can work.
"I want to educate them on the fact that victims end up paying for the crime and not the perpetrators themselves."
Mr O'Kane said: "I appreciate the Daily Record's Our Kids ... Our Future campaign for standing by Abbie's Petition since day one. I am also happy with Humza Yousaf's commitment to invest £2m in youth violence services but it has to go further than that.
"We need to focus on consequences and education on respect and empathy, but it is a step in the right direction. I am thankful the government is listening to us and taking youth violence seriously.
"Whether or not it will change government policy, I don't know, it is one step at a time. After the meeting, I would like the Petitions Committee to think about who is protecting victims.
"I hope they listen closely to Abbie's story and can make recommendations to the Scottish Government on the back of her horrible experience. There are multiple children and teenagers like Abbie who might not recover from their ordeals."
Local SNP MSP Bob Doris, who will also attend the meeting, said: "I am well aware of Abbie's Petition and pay tribute to the family. It is clear that the use of mobile phones and social media only compounds the trauma of young victims of violence, something The Record has powerfully highlighted.
"It is right that the Petitions Committee seek to listen to the experiences of victims and their families, and that is precisely what I will be doing also."
A spokesperson for the Scottish Parliament’s Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee said: "The petition is currently under consideration by the Committee and work is ongoing to engage with communities and families that have been directly affected by the issues raised.”
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