The mother of a 15-year-old North Belfast girl who was assaulted last week has hit out at police for failing to make any arrests in relation to the attack.
Margaret Beattie’s daughter Natasha was punched in the face by a man as she was walking to a bus stop on the Antrim Road near Carlisle Circus on Tuesday, October 11.
Natasha was returning to her Alexandra Park Avenue home when she was attacked by the man who came out from a nearby bar.
The man approached her and began pushing her before striking her in the face leaving her with bruising to the cheek.
Margaret says she believes she knows the person who assaulted her daughter and she has told the police but no arrests have been made.
“Nothing has been done, no-one has been arrested but my daughter is afraid to leave the house. It’s beyond a joke,” she said.
A shaken Natasha only returned to school for the first time since the assault on Tuesday.
“She had been off for over a week and it is affecting her education. She is just frightened to leave the house, it is dreadful,” she said.
“She is normally so confident and outgoing and she would do anything for anybody but this has really set her back.”
A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that no arrests have been made and investigations are continuing.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact them on 0845 600 8000. Or, if someone would prefer to provide information without giving their details, they can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers and speak to them anonymously on 0800 555 111.
