Littlehampton assault: Police launch investigation as dad calls for tough punishment

Shocking video footage has circulated on social media of a 12-year-old girl being attacked last Monday (March 13).

Sussex Police said officers were ‘aware of this incident’, which ‘reportedly occurred in Mewsbrook Park’ around 4.30pm.

A spokesperson added: “Officers have engaged with the victim and her family and provided safeguarding advice, and enquiries are ongoing.”

The victim, whose identity we are protecting, suffered extensive bruising and was left with lumps over her head and body.

Her dad, James, said: “I was at work on the other side of East Sussex and I got a phone call from one of my daughter’s friends to say she had been clumped. I frantically tried to get hold of her mum, who went to her.

“My daughter managed to run away from them but she couldn’t see very well because she had been hit round the face and was crying.

“They tried to follow her but some of her friends guided her back to a safe place. I was sent the video whilst I was driving home that was doing the rounds on social media.”

James said he was ‘in tears’ for much of the following day, thinking about what could have happened to his young daughter.

“We’ve seen it before where one punch and someone has hit the pavement wrong,” he said. “It’s sickening.

"You also don't know how it's going to scar her mentally. I cannot bear to think what was going through my daughter’s mind whilst it was happening.”

He said the attack was ‘so vicious’ that it ‘had to be dealt with by the police’.

"A uniformed officer from the police came out and asked what we expected from them,” James said. “We want them prosecuted.

"I don’t want them to get a caution. I want a judge to see that video and see the ferocity of that attack.

"They should make an example of them. Hopefully, if they get a good sentence, that will deter people.”

Shaun Gunner, Leader of Arun District Council and the Conservative Group, said the attack was ‘awful’, adding: “My heart goes out to the victim and her family. I spoke with our anti-social behaviour team and they are on it with the police.

“It's difficult to watch the video, it’s mindless violence.

“I've never seen anything like that before. I was really concerned by it all.

"I hope that parents of the kids involved have seen that video and are coming down hard on them as it's just not acceptable. It's horrific.”

James said the last communication from the police is that it’s been passed to CID to investigate.

"From a public point of view, there's nothing around here for the kids to do,” he said. “They need to keep them active and keep their minds busy.

"In my day, we would have places to go. We would go up and down to the woods and muck about.

"We were still 12-year-olds. Now a 12-year-old is 17,18. They are having to grow up a lot quicker to keep up or they get swallowed up in it all.”