Teens who abducted boy tied him to chair & forced him to apologise for being gay

THREE teens tied a terrified 14-year-old boy to a chair during a horror abduction ordeal and forced him to apologise for being gay, it’s emerged.

A video clip viewed by the BBC is said to show the boy sitting in a derelict building in Glasgow with his wrists bound and a stick placed at this throat.

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Cops arrested two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old and charged them in connection with an abduction and assault after the incident during last summer’s school holidays – described as ‘horrendous’ by Scotland’s top law officer.

But no one was taken to court and instead the case was referred to the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA), which appointed a social worker to work with one of the youths.

The traumatised lad’s parents have not been told what action if any was taken in respect of the two other teenagers.

The SCRA said rules on confidentiality limit what it can disclose.

The details of the case have only now been made public after the parents raised the issue with their MSP.

The boy’s mother said: “Our view was that this was a hate crime.

“We feel that we’ve all been traumatised by the system and the lack of support and justice for our son, who was clearly the victim of serious crimes.”

The boy’s mum and dad say another parent sent them a video of the ordeal.

Their son told them he had gone to the building with friends and was assaulted by the other teenagers after they made him admit he was gay.

His mother said: “The video showed our son with his wrists bound, tied to a chair. He looked to be in distress and there was a stick being pushed under his throat.

“The boy that was pushing the stick was saying ‘say sorry’. I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.

“It haunts us, thinking what must have been going through his head, knowing he couldn’t escape.

“He was told things like he would get his head cut off in Iran for being gay.”

Their son said he was freed after the teenagers heard sirens in the distance.

“We’ve all been traumatised by the system and the lack of support and justice for our son.”

The boy’s mother

The parents praised the “fantastic” response from Police Scotland, saying uniformed officers and detectives told them the case would be taken seriously.

The family believed the case was going to be dealt with at Glasgow Sheriff Court but after making inquiries, they learned it had been referred to the Children’s Reporter.

In March this year, more than eight months after the incident, the SCRA wrote to tell them the final outcome that a social worker was to work with one of the teens “on their behaviour and any other issues in their life”.

Family ‘in state of shock’ after teens not taken to court

The SCRA decided not to refer any of the three teenagers to a children’s hearing, a process which can lead to the imposition of compulsory supervision orders.

The boy’s father said: “I just couldn’t believe that they had chosen that route. We’re in an absolute state of shock.”

The parents say their son, now 15, has left school because he no longer feels safe.

Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay raised the case with the head of Scotland’s prosecution service, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC.

She told him the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) had taken considerable time to consider all of the evidence.

Ms Bain wrote: “I do appreciate that this must have been a horrendous experience for your constituent’s son.”

“The justice system at the very least has to be upfront with the victims and the victims’ families.”

Russell Findlay MSP

Mr Findlay said: “Instead of being treated as a criminal matter, it was diverted to a process whereby the alleged perpetrators’ interests were prioritised.

“If that’s the direction of travel, the justice system at the very least has to be upfront with the victims and the victims’ families.”

A spokesperson for the COPFS said: “We appreciate the impact this traumatic experience has caused the victim and their family.

“As public prosecutors, and in keeping with our legal obligations, we require to make decisions considering the rights of all children involved in a case, who must be treated differently from adults in the criminal justice system.”

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