[lbo-talk] "Happy Slapping" takes a turn for the worse

[Sujeet Bhatt]

HindustanTimes.com » UK Edition » UK News » Story
British teen arrested for 'happy slapping' mobile phone attack

Press Trust of India

London, May 21, 2005

A British teenage girl has been arrested for "happy slapping" her
schoolmate, in the latest case of a new phenomenon of physical attacks
carried out in order to film them on video-capable mobile telephones.

The 16-year-old, who was not named, is suspected of attacking another
16-year-old girl, who was left unconscious near her home outside the
northwest city of Manchester, police said yesterday.

The victim, Becky Smith spent two nights in the hospital, temporarily
paralyzed and with serious head injuries, after being assaulted by a
gang of teens on May 9.

Meanwhile, her assailants apparently circulated the video among fellow
students at their school in Blackley. Smith's 13-year-old brother was
shown the clip by another pupil.

"Happy slapping", as media have dubbed the practice, first appeared
six months ago as video-capable mobile phones became widespread in
Britain.

Usually the attacks involve one person slapping a passerby or stranger
while an accomplice films it with the telephone. The videos can then
be sent between phones and even posted on the Internet.

Some British schools have banned mobile phones in an attempt to stamp
out the craze but Plant Hill High, which Smith and her alleged
attackers attend, still allows their use.

"This is a police matter which happened outside school and we are
supporting the police with their inquiries," a school spokesman said.

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