My family is being harassed by a 13 year old girl

[Backachesandheadaches]

This sounds absolutely bizarre because I KNOW she is a child and she SHOULDNT have this much power but here we are.

DS (12) had a friend we'll call her Hannah (not her real name) who is 13 they always had a turbulent friendship which involved Hannah abusing my son physically/mentally and emotionally, on a daily basis and then crying when he would react at her.
Anyway they fell out for good after she disclosed a horrific secret of my DS's one of which is true and has affected him massively.

Ever since my family have dealt with graffiti on our property and all over the area we live, random bouts of knock a door run between the hours of 10pm and 11pm all times having woken our youngest child (4) and he becoming hysterical through fear, we have dealt with Hannah and her friend let's call her Emma (not real name again) shouting obscenities at the house when windows are open, we are STILL dealing with Hannah and Emma prank calling MY phone number on a regular basis (over 60 calls) and acting like idiots over the phone, Hannahs mum has tried to have me done for harassment (?!) This was counter reported by myself as we are not causing any harassment and are in fact essentially sitting on the back lines watching it happen to us. We have had Hannahs mother call the police maliciously and LIE to the police telling them me and the kids were being beaten (not true and police saw it wasn't) and today we have been PULLED by the police on a 'tip off' made by Hannah and Emma that my partner is driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs (both tests were negative)

What can we actually do about this? I report every single incident to the police and absolutely NOTHING Is done about it! We have blocked all their phone numbers, we are being FORCED to move out of our home of the last 13 years due to this! We move by the end of the year.

Nobody is taking us seriously, we are being reported maliciously left right and center for things that are categorically untrue and false and are all malicious.

I know it's not the Hannahs mother as she no longer drives past my house as the police told her to stay away from me due to her harassment, but her daughter and her daughters friend are constantly walking past my house on a daily basis which is how they've snapped a photo of my partners car to make the malicious call.

We are essentially trapped in this and have no way out. Police aren't being helpful, we can't go and sort it ourselves (as tempting as it is) what the hell do we do?

We are DESPERATE

Sounds bloody awful. What a little shit she and her family sound.

What about paying a lawyer to issue a cease and desist letter?

Have you CCTV or a ring doorbell?
I think you need to keep a log of every event and every single time report it to police. The CCTV is your hard evidence that it's really happening.
If you (and they) live in social housing, the tenancy officers should be interested as well. This is harassment.

Sounds more annoying than anything. I certainly wouldn't be moving house. I wouldn't let a 13 year old intimidate me. I'd be having words with her mum personally.

her mother's in on it

Can you get a restraining order against them?

@Waxonwaxoff0 I've tried that unfortunately that's why they reported me for harassment and made the initial malicious phone call about me and the kids being beaten. There's no talking to her mother, I wasn't rude etc and she tried to have me done for harassment when it's her and her daughter who are harassing us.

@CrotchetyQuaver I have a camera in my window but it's not amazing we need to invest in a ring but they are costly and we are on a tight budget

I'd report the mum to social services I think. Sounds like a very unstable and turbulent home life. And I'd call the police about every single thing. You'd be doing her a favour. If she carries on like this her life will be a shit show, someone has to teach her right from wrong.

My sympathies OP it sounds a truly awful situation.

Get a ring doorbell to monitor movement and record these so that you have a ongoing record which can be evidenced.

contact her school and social services and police. Keep contacting them

Install cameras and a Ring doorbell, CCTV too but follow the law around this. Get yourself a new phone. Xontact the most senior police officer and ask what action can be taken, maybe a restraining order. Are they all at the same school, are school aware.

13yo little shit. I would look at legal advice if there's anything to go from there. If she's this horrid at 13yo I can image what a waste of space as an adult she will be. Restraining order?

I'm confused though...why would your child wake up terrified about someone ringing the doorbell?

It sounds like you're letting fear get the better of you and it's rubbing off on your kids.

Children can be horrible. It sounds like her mum is a nutter too. But realistically I think you are blowing it out of proportion.

Get a ring doorbell and keep a record of all the nasty behaviour. Do not engage.

My family were terrorised by somerhing like 20 neighbourhood kids while I grew up to so I recognise the fear. But sometimes the fear is the worst part of it. There's only 2 of them. They'll probably get bored long before you move.

If it escalates though, report the footage to the police. Chances are though they will get in trouble for making false reports ext anyway, if they carry on.

Are the dc at same school? Might it qualify as Anti Social Behaviour?

I think you can report anti social behaviour to the council as well. Might be worth a try.

God, poor you. It sounds v stressful and irritating.

The malicious reports to police are potentially going to lead this child / her parent(s) into trouble. That might help quell the harassment.

Its not the schools responsibility, admittedly, but maybe a guidance teacher type person could speak to the girls? They should have some concern in helping children learn how to deal with relationships etc.

Would Hannah’s friends parents be more helpful? I know she’s the ringleader but without more company she’s likely to stop. And the friend is also being pretty awful and could end up in as
mich trouble as Hannah.

I would get a free 30 minute consultation with a solicitor and see if you can get a non harassment order or an injunction out on her. Not sure if they can be put on kids but anything worth a try. I'm sure a court order will put them in their place. If not the Child, then maybe against the Mum who's also making false accusations.

I know you said you’re on a budget, price up some dummy cameras and big yellow cctv signs for your property. Or just the signs perhaps! Display prominently- might be enough to stop the girl doing anything outside your house at least

You can apply for a civil injunction under the 1997 harassment act
more than 2 reports in 5 months count as harassment
but also get some cctv
If they are in Social housing make a report to the council or the HA and follow it up

Do you know your local pcso? Ask for a visit to look at security measures, mention the need to safeguard your ds. Is he vulnerable? Was his "secret" really worthy of public attention or has Hannah blown things completely out of proportion to bully him, and in turn you,

I would be doing the absolute opposite op. They are enjoying this, winding up adults and getting them scared is fun if you are 13 and messed up.

Start being the adult. If you see her go out side and say 'Hello xx how are you? It is lovely we are seeing so much of you these days' do it with a smile and a cheerful loud voice.

When she is swearing outside wave to them and say ' hello girls, is everything okay? Do you need some help?' close the windows. Let your neighbours report them to the police. Reassure your younger child they are just playing pranks and it is nothing to be afraid of. They are swearing so keep it in perspective.

And just get on with your lives, they will soon get bored when there is no reaction.

Change your number or simply unplug your phone if they call.
Door knocking - ignore it - again as old as the hills - just simply ignore it.

I think you are going to struggle to get the police to take this seriously op, so keep this in perspective, she is a kid - very annoying but still incredibly childish and she sounds like she is from a deprived family with severe problems of her own. She needs your pity not fear, as she is really going to ruin her life if she continues this way (and her mother sounds useless) Find a way to feel sorry for her, and then you will stop feeling afraid. She IS just a child and things have clearly gone very wrong for her.

Whatever she does meet it with total indifference. And she will move on in no time at all. Grey rock all the way.

I'd definitely make a ring a priority. They're amazing and will log every single time they come to the house.

@Pinkbonbon they aren't ringing the doorbell they are bashing on the door with closed fists with such intensity my windows vibrate and my youngest sons bedroom is directly above the front door they are bashing on! Of course a 4 year old would be woken by that and be hysterical with fear, he doesn't sleep great as it is, and by that I mean he's the lightest sleeper I have ever known! He doesn't like loud noises etc (awaiting assessments but whole other thread that)

I am not letting fear control me. I still do everything I was doing previously to all of this etc but its becoming a joke with the constant harassment and I won't lie an embarrassment having the police pull up randomly so all my neighbours have a good gossip when this happens.