Three children quizzed over attack
Detectives were continuing to question three children today over the attempted murder of a five-year-old boy who was found with horrific ligature-type marks around his neck.
Anthony Hinchliffe is believed to have been taken from his mother’s back garden and led to a nearby wood, where he suffered neck injuries and bruising to his body.
Detectives – who are treating the incident as attempted murder – have refused to confirm reports that the youngster sustained his injuries through being hanged.
Two girls and a boy – aged between 11 and 12 – were continuing to be questioned over the incident at Dewsbury police station today. Two boys, who had also been arrested, were released without charge last night.
The incident bears chilling similarities to the 1993 murder of Merseyside toddler James Bulger, who was led away by two 10-year-old boys while waiting for his mother outside a shop.
Anthony was found in a distraught state by his 22-year-old cousin Tracey Jones and a member of the public yesterday in a wooded area close to the Earlsheaton Medical Centre in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
As well as the ligature marks, there was bruising on his body.
Four local children – two girls aged 11 and 12 and two boys aged 11 and 12 - were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
A fifth boy, aged 12, was later held over the incident, which police said happened between 5.30pm and 6pm on Tuesday.
Two of the boys being held were released without charge last night. Police said they expected to arrest two or three more people in connection with the investigation.
Anthony, who was released from hospital yesterday afternoon, had been taken against his will, according to his cousin.
Ms Jones told the Yorkshire Post: “He didn’t want to go. It was just like Jamie Bulger.”
She said the youngster had been playing in the back garden while his mother, Terri, washed the dishes when he disappeared.
The family then began a desperate search for Anthony, who was on a half-term break from Chickenley Primary School.
The 22-year-old said he had been taken to Earlsheaton Park by a 12-year-old girl he had been playing with in the garden and they then met up with a group of other children.
Ms Jones said the child broke down in tears when she finally found him.
She told the newspaper: “He just burst into tears. He was shocked and dazed. He was frantic and crying.
“I asked him what has happened. He said: ‘Some boys and girls tied a rope around my neck and tried to tie me to a tree.’”
Detective Superintendent Andy Brennan, the senior investigating officer, said the young victim was not related to any of his attackers.
He said: “He has got a number of bruises to his body and has a number of marks around his neck and clearly what we would hope to gain by interviewing him today and this evening would be to establish how he came by those injuries.”
Asked if the boy had been hanged, Mr Brennan replied: “He has marks around his neck which could be consistent with ligature marks.
“However, he has not been interviewed in relation to how he came by them but clearly there are marks around his neck, which give me cause for concern.
“Clearly the family are very distressed. The victim is a five-year-old child who suffered serious injuries, which is why those arrested last night and this morning were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.”
None of the children in custody are related to each other, the detective added.
The young boy was taken to Dewsbury District Hospital, where he was treated overnight and discharged yesterday afternoon.
He is being interviewed by specially-trained officers, who will attempt to piece together exactly what took place.
Police said a “number of items” had been recovered from the scene, which backs on to parkland.
The boy’s father Mark Hinchliffe, who lives apart from Anthony’s mother, said he believed his son had been taken from the garden of his mother’s three-bedroom house and led to the scene where he was injured.
A neighbour living close to the boy’s home said she had seen the youngster looking “in a bad way” on the night of the alleged attack.
Edna Gray, 79, said: “I saw his mum bringing him home last night. He was looking a bit dazed and in a bad way.
“She looked mad and she went to call the police and an ambulance arrived soon afterwards.”
Mrs Gray, who said the boy’s mother had four other children, described Anthony as a “lovely boy” who had never gone off on his own before.
“He’s a nice lad, he comes and talks to you and shows you his toys. He’s always playing with the little ones who are his own age but I’ve never known him to go off on his own or to play with older children,” she said.
| Related Stories: |
|
