UK News 02-06-2005 Children Accused in Murder Attempt who: Five year-old Anthony Hinchliffe what: Escapes alleged murder attempt by gang of children aged 11 to 12 where: DEWSBURY when: Wednesday snippet: Five children aged between 11 and 12 were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder on Wednesday after a five-year-old boy was allegedly taken from his garden and strung up by the neck from a tree. Anthony Hinchliffe, who lives on the Chickenley estate in Dewsbury, "was found with `horrific` ligature-type marks around his neck after being taken from his mother`s garden and led to nearby woods where he was injured," says The Mirror. "Specially-trained officers are speaking to Anthony about his ordeal after his release from hospital." "His family, who had launched a frantic search for him, likened the attack to the notorious murder of toddler James Bulger, killed by two young boys," reckons The Sun. "And a senior police officer said: `What happened was sick and very disturbing`." "Terri Brown, 30, the boy`s mother, who had been washing dishes in her kitchen, realised Anthony was missing when she called him in for his tea and got no response," says The Scotsman. "Ms Brown, a single parent with five children, began searching the streets, helped by friends and relatives." "Some boys and girls tied a rope around my neck and tried to tie me to a tree," the five year-old reportedly told his 22 year-old cousin Tracey Jones after escaping from his captors. "I asked `Why did you go with them?`," she tells The Mirror. "He told me `They wouldn`t let me go`. He hadn`t wanted to go. He was taken, and then after doing what they did they abandoned him." Two boys were subsequently released without charge and the authorities failed to persuade a magistrate to allow them to keep a 12 year-old girl, who was released on Thursday morning. A girl and a boy, both 11, remained in the custody of West Yorkshire police on Thursday afternoon. [... more]

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