May 30, 2005
Tortured for £75: a victim of the new form of 'happy slapping' designed to instil terror
The Telegraph describes a video footage of an attack on terrified teenager tied to a railing in a dark stairway, obtained as a result of an investigation by the Sunday paper, which reveals an escalation in happy slapping violence, extortion.
"His face is marked with a black pen. The voice of a vicious thug taunts his victim, hitting him repeatedly while another yob films the disturbing act on his mobile phone. His attacker wants money - £75 to be precise - and he will not accept any answering back.
Torture and extortion of this nature appear to be an escalation of the "happy slapping" craze which began with teenagers slapping adults on public transport and filming the incidents on their mobiles to later exchange like Pokemon cards or football stickers.
Graham Barnfield, a youth studies expert with the University of East London said: "In the case of 'happy slapping' the motive appears to be humour, sick though it is. This film is on a whole new level. It appears motivated by the desire to strike fear and terror into an individual.
The video was posted on an American website where clips of CCTV footage of real crimes, jokes and prank videos are shown alongside clips of "happy slapping". Police cannot have the site shut down because hosting the films is not illegal".
A spokesman for the Internet Watch Foundation said: "It is a matter for the police - clearly it is an assault. But it is not illegal to show the films. This phenomenon is a sad indictment of our society."
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