THE mother of a 13-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted in North Belfast at the weekend has spoken of her horror at her son’s ordeal.
The Duncairn Gardens mother said she was speaking out about the incident to make others aware that a predator was on the loose in the area.
The mother of two was physically shaken as she recounted how her son had been attacked as he returned home from a shopping trip in the city centre. The boy was walking with a friend along Fredrick Street towards his Duncairn Gardens home at around 6pm on Sunday evening (November 30) when a man described as being in his late thirties or early forties grabbed him from behind and forced his hand down his trousers.
His mother said the attacker told the boy to “relax and stay still” as he attempted to repeatedly kiss him on the neck and lips as the boy struggled to get away.
The attacker only stopped when a silver car drove past. He then made off towards the Dunbar Link direction.
The devastated mother said she believed her son had been followed.
“He may have followed the two boys and waited until there was no one about,” she said. “He was wearing a black and red Cliftonville tracksuit, a black wooly hat and my son thinks that he had a scar on the left hand side of his face.
“He also thinks that he had a scruffy beard because he could feel it when he tried to kiss him. He was also wearing white trainers.”
The woman said that she hoped anyone who may have seen anything would come forward to police.
“This was a disgusting sexual assault and my son showed great strength in dealing with questioning and DNA testing by police.
“This man needs to be caught and I just want anyone out there who might have seen something, who maybe even thought it was youngsters playing around, to come forward and help make our streets safer.”
A PSNI spokesperson confirmed the incident took place and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.
“Two teenage boys were walking along the Frederick Street area on Sunday 30 November at around 6pm when one of them was sexually assaulted by a man described as being in his late 30s or early 40s of average build and wearing a football top, black bottoms and a beanie hat. The man had a distinctive scar on the left hand side of his face.
“Anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the incident, especially the driver of a silver car who passed by, is asked to contact police.”
