The parents of a 12-year-old girl who was brutally attacked on her way home from Charles Dickens School on Thursday, November 29 have appealed for calm as their daughter prepares to return to classes.
Evee-Anne Cooper was repeatedly punched in the face and kicked in the head while she lay on the floor during the attack by a teenage girl.
The vile assault at Arlington Gardens in Dane Valley was filmed by onlookers and posted to social media, prompting an outraged response across the isle.
A swell of support was shown for Evee-Anne and her family, including twitter posts from stars such as boxer Ricky Hatton who were disgusted by the attack.
Evee-Ann was taken to hospital following the attack and has since been recovering at home.
A call for calm
She is now due to return to school but parents Paul Cooper and Amanda Morris have asked, via a letter written by school executive head Kirsten Cardus, for people to now ‘let Evee-ann recover.”
In the letter posted to parents today Ms Cardus says: “I am writing to you at the request of Evee-Anne’s parents who met with me on Tuesday 4 December, in school, with Evee-Anne.
“Evee-Anne is making a recovery and is hoping to return to school shortly. They have asked the school to thank all the parents and well-wishers for their kind words and offers of support. They have also asked for calm to let Evee-Anne recover and try to return to school as normal.
“They have particularly highlighted that there is a lot of fake news on social media and in the public domain and a lot of fake accounts reporting to be Evee-Anne. They are very disappointed by this and asked people to be aware. The police are investigating these in addition to the incident.
“The school looks forward to welcoming Evee-Anne back into our school community as soon as she is ready and I am sure all students/parents will want to support her with this process.”
Three teenagers, aged 13,14 and 15, were arrested in connection with the incident. They have since been released on bail.
A Kent Police spokesman said of the fake profiles complaint: “Officers are aware of concerns regarding social media accounts which may not be genuine.
“Initial enquiries are taking place to establish whether any offences have taken place.”
A fundraiser set up by residents Kyle Barber and Jay Holloway for the family has bust through its £500 target and now stands at more than £6,000.