Months of bullying have left a transgender teen in Tameside, Greater Manchester terrified to go anywhere alone.
Riley Rogers, who came out as trans at the age of 11, said he was the victim of both physical and verbal abuse in Denton, with the attacks first starting in November 2021 on his 13th birthday.
The teen claimed the bullying has been prominent at his school, Denton Community College, where he is in Year 8.
This has allegedly included being hit with a bag and having his planner torn up and thrown from a window.
“I can’t really go outside anymore without anyone,” Riley told the Manchester Evening News.
“For the past two days I’ve had to bring a teddy bear to grab onto.
“I’ve not been great at all. I’ve been really upset and haven’t been to school a lot.
“I was a little bit angry to be honest. I didn’t do anything. I was really upset.”
The latest attack on Riley occurred on 31 January when he departed an after-school LGBTQ+ club.
He was reportedly sitting on a bench outside a shop when a group of students destroyed his bag and threatened him with plastic crates, with one of the attackers believed to have filmed the incident.
The teen and his family have reported what happened to Greater Manchester Police.
His mother, Sarah Rogers, believes the school needs to do more to protect her son.
“It’s been absolutely horrific if I’m being honest,” she told the outlet. “No one around checked Riley was okay. No one said to the group to leave him alone.
“Riley rang me really upset. It shouldn’t have been that we sent him to self defence for eight years because we were scared.”
A spokesperson for Denton Community College said: “As you will be aware, due to Police involvement following the incident at Crown Point North, Denton Community College is unable to comment at this time, so as not to prejudice any investigation.”
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