or rather, is this woman being unreasonable about 2 boys fighting

[nametaken]

my friends son and another boy had a fight in the playground yesterday. They are always fighting these 2 boys, if not with each other, then with other boys.

Anyway, my friends son broke the other boys nose with a punch.

The other boys parents have told my friend that they expect their son to be be compensated financially for the distress and that they consider £500 to be a reasonable amount. They have said if my friend won't pay compensation then they will involve the police.

When the police are involved in all probability my friends son will receive a police caution which will go on his record and affect his future career prospects.

My friend thinks this is blackmail. The other parents think it's reasonable. I don't know what to think.

What do you think?

We were about 13 when my friend got his nose broken. Def. don't give them £500. If it was not in school, less likely to be successful in any legal consequences imho. Even if cautioned, won't stay on 'adult' record and not declarable employment wise. Tell your friend to take moral high ground - tell son to ( with parents) to apologise profusely in person to boy for breaking nose. If they're both in same school, need to sit down with school and work out how to stop this happening. 12 year old punching hard enough to break nose is scary.

they are both in the wrong to be brawling like that

it is blackmail though , pure and simple

a bollocking from teh police might make them both think twice about fighting like that in the future

a child who is not earning and won;t be off work can;t really claim that much compensation

if my DS hit someone hard enough to break their nose i would go berserk .

Ah right. In that case the parents are responsible. Tbh if a 12yo of mine was in the habit of fighting in public parks, he could spend his spare time at home doing some homework instead. But having said that, I would not be prepared to pay someone 500 pounds because they can't keep their son under control either. Unless there is clear evidence of their son being the aggressor they shouldn't pay. Once the 500 have been paid- what's to stop the parents from coming for more? Call their bluff!

Right, I've just googled cautions and it looks like only adults can be cautioned anyway - under 18's get a "reprimand".

My friend here is going to ignore the request for money and is not going to go to the police. She thinks the other parents will simply deny having asked for £500 and there won't be anything the police can do about it.

The thing is, the way these parents asked for the money, they did it so nicely and politely!!!!!!! As if it was natural. And no, they are not American lol.

Both boys as bad as each other, always fighting each other and other kids.

Sounds like your friend needs to do something about this then, before her offspring ends up in serious trouble.

Get them to put the demand for £500 in writing maybe saying you need a contract to make sure you are not liable for anymore and get them to sign it first and then go and report the incident to the police and give them the contract saying you were very scared and are being blackmailed.

That C word describes them aptley! (sp?)

DH just retired from police force, says do not pay - ridiculous.
Also states that he or any officer he ever worked with would be disinterested in "reprimanding" a kid of that age under those circs.
Different if a child seriously injured requiring medical treatment or due to bullying etc . TBH if the police attended every playground fight in the UK , burglars etc would have a field day as police busy with junior crap !!

Would^Nt give them 50p never mind 500quid

They are taking the piss and it is blackmail.

Would go to the police with that.

Feel sorry for the lad with a broken nose BUT 500 is`nt going to make him feel any better

Maybe both lads have learnt a lesson here

SHe might want to address the issue of fighting with her son, but tell the other parents to fuck off and try their blackmail on another mug. Because it is blackmail, and they need to be told as much.

12 the police won't even caution them who started the fight???

I broke a girls leg in a fight once by accident ( she hit me first and was picking on my little sister) to be fair I never ment to brake it I was 14 I got a caution that was it

I doubt very much if they would get £500 if your friends ds was arrested and taken to court. I was assualted when i was 16 reported to police etc magistrates ordered him to pay me £110 compensation and £75 court costs. With more damage done than a broken nose. Apart from being unreasonable shes well over exagerating what she thinks her son deserves.

I got attacked when i was 16 by a 15yr old and it resulted in me misscarrying my twins

I got nothing... he got a caution.

He won't get a police caution.
Tell the friend to call the police herself. Explaining what happened, including the 'compensation claim'.
The police would most likely just go round both houses, give the boys a strict talking to wrt fighting and that will be that, they would also take the blackmail more seriously than two children fighting.

Also any police cautions before the age of 18 are removed in adulthood I think.

I wouldn't pay them a penny, if they want money.. let them report and sue... if there is any case there, ( which I doubt). If the boys nose needs straightening with an op.. it will be done when the boy is 15/16 ish ( we are waiting for ds2 to have nose job done after a break!! LOL)

It was a fight, it wasn't an attack or bullying. ( by the sounds of it) and so being a fight both boys were involved and chose to carry on.

A fight is different from an attack or bullying!