Boy, 13, kicked in the head and knocked unconscious by man outside primary school as he walked home

Gabriel Sousa has not been able to return to school since the attack because of his injuries
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A boy was knocked unconscious in an attack by a man in a van who targeted the teenager outside a Sheffield school as he walked home.

Gabriel Sousa 13, was walking home with a friend when a man jumped out of a van and attacked him outside Abbeyfield Primary School, Pitsmoor.

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The teenagers had just finished lessons at Parkwood Academy, Shirecliffe, and Gabriel was moments away from his Pitsmoor home when violence flared at 3.50pm on Thursday 6 May.

Gabriel Sousa after the attack in Sheffield (Photo: JPI Media)Gabriel Sousa after the attack in Sheffield (Photo: JPI Media)
Gabriel Sousa after the attack in Sheffield (Photo: JPI Media)

He was punched and knocked to the ground, where he was kicked in his head during the attack in broad daylight.

Gabriel, who lives with his mum and five siblings, suffered a fractured eye socket in the attack and may need surgery.

He also suffered concussion and has not been able to return to school since the attack because of his injuries.

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Mum Carla, a 38-year-old cleaner, said the incident was witnesseD by passers-by and has been reported to South Yorkshire Police.

She is keen for officers investigating the incident to retrieve CCTV footage from nearby cameras in a bid to track down the attacker, who jumped out of a van while the driver remained in the vehicle.

Carla also wants other witnesses to come forward to help police trace the culprit.

She said: “A woman got in touch who witnessed this and said my son did nothing wrong, he was just walking home.

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“He was pushed to the ground and when he was laid there he was kicked in his head and was then left there unconscious. What kind of man could do that to a child and then walk away knowing he was unconscious? He could have killed him.

“If he can do this to my child, what can he do to others?”

She said her son has been left scared to be alone since the attack: “He wants to stay close to me since this happened and can’t understand why it happened to him.”

“It has scared him.”

Anyone with information should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 and quote incident 14/7092/21.

A version of this article originally appeared on our sister title, The Star

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