Boy, 11, with autism 'tried to take his life' after bullying

Boy, 11, with autism ‘tried to take his own life’ after he was hit over the head 12 times with a metal pole by school bullies, leaving him with PTSD

• Jake Warfield has been scarred for life by the attack which took place in 2016
• He was left with serious injuries to his face, head, arms, knees and shoulder
• His mother Diane has now joined a campaign to change laws around bullying 

Jake Warfield was left suicidal after a horrific attack by bullies

A boy, 11, tried to take his own life after he was hit in the head 12 times with a metal pole with a hook on the end of it by school bullies.

Jake Warfield, who has autism, was scarred for life by the attack and now suffers from PTSD.

The schoolboy from Staffordshire, now 14, was left with serious injuries to his face, head, arms, knees and shoulder.

Jake was out of school for three months and the bullies were expelled after the two attacks which happened on consecutive days.

His mother Diane said he was first attacked by ten boys and the following day, the last of the school term, a bully two years older than him set on him with the pole.

She has now joined a campaign to change laws around bullying in the hope of saving children’s lives.

The schoolboy from Staffordshire, now 14, was left with serious injuries to his face, head, arms, knees and shoulder

She told Derbyshire Live: ‘He had been dealing with bullies for a few months and I was getting to the point where I didn’t want him to even go to school.

‘He was hit with a metal bar which had a hook on the end of it and he was struck 12 times. His head was physically misshapen. He was inconsolable.

‘He had PTSD and a mental breakdown and was off school for three months. I wasn’t letting him go back there.

‘He tried to kill himself when he was 11. He was reliving it in his sleep, crying and begging for help – it was just heartbreaking to see.’

She said Jake’s autism made it hard for him to explain his emotions and has undergone two years of counselling but still struggles with anxiety. 

Jake’s mother Diane (pictured) has now joined a campaign to change laws around bullying in the hope of saving children’s lives

He now does not feel safe on his own in the world and the family are unable to go on holiday because he struggles in different situations and with large groups.

Diane, who has three other children, has joined up with other parents of children who have been victims of bullying.

They will be visiting schools across the country to share their stories in the hope of minimising bullying.

Jake’s autism made it hard for him to explain his emotions

The campaign will be launched on October 25 by Jason Barnett from Leeds, an advocate for vulnerable children and a former teacher. 

The group is made up of more than 75 families across the UK with some having lost children to suicide after being bullied.

A spokesman for the de Ferrers Academy, where Jake was a pupil at the time of the attack, said: ‘The academy has a range of strategies in place to minimise bullying and clear procedures to address it should it occur.

‘We operate an entirely non-teaching support and guidance structure to ensure that pastoral staff are always available should a student need to report an issue.

‘This is supplemented by inclusion centres on each campus and staff who provide counselling, should the need arise.

Jake was a pupil at the de Ferrers Academy in Staffordshire (pictured) at the time of the attack

‘As part of our safeguarding review with the local authority, we have also introduced an email student helpline for bullying which guarantees a response within the day.

‘All bullying incidents are recorded and reported to the local governing body.’

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.  

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