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Legal proceedings against a 10-year-old boy over alleged racist name calling have been labelled political correctness gone mad, by a judge.

The boy from Irlam, Greater Manchester, was summonsed to court accused of racially abusing a fellow pupil.

Judge Jonathan Finestein told Salford Youth Court the boys would have been given "a good clouting" in his day.

Adjourning it to 20 April, he asked prosecutors to reconsider whether the case was in the public interest.

The boy is accused of abusing an 11-year-old pupil in a school playground between 1 July 2005 and 30 January 2006.

The court was told that the boys are now friends and play football with each other.

But Mr Finestein said he thought the decision to prosecute the youngster was "crazy" and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to reconsider its decision.

"Have we really got to the stage where we are prosecuting 10-year-old boys because of political correctness?

"I was repeatedly called fat at school. Does this amount to a criminal offence?

He added: "Nobody is more against racist abuse than me but these are boys in a playground, this is nonsense.

"I think somebody should consider reversing the decision to prosecute."

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said the force took all crimes seriously and was totally opposed to any racism.

Story from :
BBC NEWS
Published: 2006/04/06 14:08:22 GMT

That is ridiculous. At school I suffered racist abuse probably on a daily basis. I think it made me a stronger character (especially with all the fights I ended up in!). My sister and I were the first 'ethnic' members of our local primary. Aren't people able to cope or deal with such abuse or does everything end up in the courts these days? Life's tough, bloody deal with it!

Whilst it's one thing some young kid being prosecuted for this and complaining about it (which I agree shouldn't have happened to a 10 year old), but is it really the same as being called fat? I', not convinced that judges should be making comments like this. I don't think they are remotely helpful in today's world.

Well in a way it is the same as in a child can't really help if he/she is fat. I know you're going to say they can go on a diet, but it's usually the parent's fault giving them a poor diet. Then you have skinny kids on a poor diet. Everyone's different. I guess it hurts just as much at that age whatever names you are being called.

Anyway, it's ridiculous that a child should be prosecuted for such things.

I agree about the fat kids thing. In fact I nearly posted on here only yesterday under people that wind me up about parents that allow their kids to become really over weight. I know we can't watch our kids 24/7 but yesterday I saw this REALLY fat little girl and she was choffing away on sweets and I wanted to ring her mothers neck as that child could have a problem with food and self esteem for life anyway on the racist thing, I think a lot of the time it is 'learned' from the parents attitudes. It is wrong to prosecute a child when they are more than likely copying what their parents say.

I often think in things like this, that it has to be a very extreme case for it get as far as it has done. There has to have been sufficient reasons for this to go through the police/social workers/CPS etc and get to court. Unfortunately, the Daily Mailpress just pick the bones out of it and go with the headline fodder.