Hi, this is my first time on Mumsnet but I really need help.
My 15 year old son was popular, happy, loving life then that all stopped very suddenly at the beginning of the Easter holidays. He didn't understand why. His birthday fell during the holiday and none of the small group of his "best Friends", that he'd invited for a sleep over, came.
When he got back to school he discovered one boy had spread a rumour that he had raped a girl at a party - this was completely untrue, no basis whatsoever. The rumour was so widely believe that some uninvolved parents had contacted the police who interviewed the girl she also denied it (and was upset because she wasn?t initially believed) and no action was taken. However the rumour gathered momentum ? people shouted ?rapist? at my son everywhere he went, he was removed from every social media group that he belonged to, people refused to sit beside him in class, he had no-one to go to lunch with and was mocked for this, at one stage he was hiding in a toilet cubicle during lunchtime and a boy climbed up inside the next cubicle and took a picture of him.
He has lost weight, developed headaches, refused to go to school and a couple of times when I thought he?d gone to school he hadn?t.
I am really worried about him, I have spoken to the police who said they can do nothing, I have asked the school for help and they have tried, the boy who started the rumour was excluded for a few days but is back and making life hell for my son. I have written to the headmaster asking for his help to stop the rumours but he didn?t even reply.
It has been suggested that I take legal action against the child who started the rumour as my son?s reputation has been damaged and ?mud sticks?. I have found out that parents, some whom I would have considered my friends, people who have known my son all his life, believe the rumours and if not encouraging their children to avoid my son they are at least condoning their behaviour towards him!
Has anyone got any advice??