EXCLUSIVE: Three-year-old boy 'beaten by bigots'
Tuesday, May 21, 2002
By Lesley Walsh
A disabled toddler was viciously attacked by a gang of teenage thugs
on Monday night in what his family believes was a brutal sectarian
assault.
Three-year-old Christopher Moody was kicked and punched in the stomach by
the gang as he played a short distance from his north Belfast home.
His distraught mother Susan last night wept as she comforted her only
son -
and spoke of her relief that a neighbour rescued the child before he
suffered more serious injuries.
Christopher was playing on his bike as his mum chatted to a friend at
the
front door of their home in Heathfield Court, near the Oldpark Road,
around
6.30pm.
"He was there and then he just disappeared," she said. "He'd gone off
after
a neighbour's cat. He loves cats and just wanted to cuddle it.
"Then just five minutes later, a neighbour came down with him and said
'the
Catholics got him'."
She said her neighbour heard screams and ran to a nearby playing field
to
find Christopher surrounded by a group of boys, aged between 10 and
13.
"He said they pulled him down by the head and the child said they
kicked him
on the stomach and the back.
"It was sectarian. There's no other reason because they've stolen his
bike
before because they know we're Protestants."
Mrs Moody said she had only been living in the area with Christopher,
her
husband Chris and their one-year-old daughter since March.
She added the youngster is currently undergoing clinical tests to
ascertain
whether he has autism.
Breaking down again, she said: "He's always in the clinic and it's
just not
fair.
"He isn't as quick as the other children. I've told him not to go into
the
field but he's only a baby, he knows nothing."
"He was trembling and he's just not himself tonight. He's asking me to
get
into bed with him which isn't like him."
Christopher did not require hospital treatment but Mrs Moody said her
doctor
told her to give him painkillers.
She said that both she and the neighbour who rescued Christopher gave
statements to the police, but added her son was not able to identify
the
boys who attacked him.
Susan's mother Shirley Moody was distraught at what happened to her
grandson.
"It could have been James Bulger all over again if the neighbour
hadn't come
along."
Police confirmed they had received a report of the incident.
on Monday night in what his family believes was a brutal sectarian
assault.
Three-year-old Christopher Moody was kicked and punched in the stomach by
the gang as he played a short distance from his north Belfast home.
His distraught mother Susan last night wept as she comforted her only
son -
and spoke of her relief that a neighbour rescued the child before he
suffered more serious injuries.
Christopher was playing on his bike as his mum chatted to a friend at
the
front door of their home in Heathfield Court, near the Oldpark Road,
around
6.30pm.
"He was there and then he just disappeared," she said. "He'd gone off
after
a neighbour's cat. He loves cats and just wanted to cuddle it.
"Then just five minutes later, a neighbour came down with him and said
'the
Catholics got him'."
She said her neighbour heard screams and ran to a nearby playing field
to
find Christopher surrounded by a group of boys, aged between 10 and
13.
"He said they pulled him down by the head and the child said they
kicked him
on the stomach and the back.
"It was sectarian. There's no other reason because they've stolen his
bike
before because they know we're Protestants."
Mrs Moody said she had only been living in the area with Christopher,
her
husband Chris and their one-year-old daughter since March.
She added the youngster is currently undergoing clinical tests to
ascertain
whether he has autism.
Breaking down again, she said: "He's always in the clinic and it's
just not
fair.
"He isn't as quick as the other children. I've told him not to go into
the
field but he's only a baby, he knows nothing."
"He was trembling and he's just not himself tonight. He's asking me to
get
into bed with him which isn't like him."
Christopher did not require hospital treatment but Mrs Moody said her
doctor
told her to give him painkillers.
She said that both she and the neighbour who rescued Christopher gave
statements to the police, but added her son was not able to identify
the
boys who attacked him.
Susan's mother Shirley Moody was distraught at what happened to her
grandson.
"It could have been James Bulger all over again if the neighbour
hadn't come
along."
Police confirmed they had received a report of the incident.
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