Update 10 p.m. EDT Aug. 30: Olympia police confirmed Thursday that after further investigation, they found the injuries sustained by the 6-year-old boy were not be the result of an assault as originally reported by the mother and child -- but instead were the result of a fall that happened at the child's West Olympia apartment complex.
Police said there are no suspects of any age.
“Appropriate social services have been notified to ensure the continued welfare of the child involved,” Olympia Police Lt. Sam Costello said in a statement.
Original report: A mother in Olympia, Washington, wants answers after she says an attack by a group of children left her 6-year-old son hospitalized.
Police think the group of children attacked Carter English, 6, at the Courtside Apartments on the afternoon of Aug. 22.
Dana English said she found her son on the stairs of the apartments with blood covering his face and injuries that almost resulted in him losing an eye.
“They hit him with rocks and sticks. He was just kind of sitting there. When they did his surgery (Friday) they documented pulling out pieces of debris and rock out of his eye,” English told KIRO 7’s Jessica Oh on Friday.
On Friday, police were still trying to find the children, who allegedly range from 5 to 10 years old, but officers told English that even if they track the kids down, there’s only so much they can do.
“I was told by the police that it’s an unfortunate situation that happened to my son and that it can be documented, but that’s as far as they can go,” Dana English said.
However, because they’re children, English does not blame them – despite what they did to her child.
“My heart is broken for all of these children for many reasons. We are raising our future right now and letting them bully each other and attack each other and looking the other direction is unacceptable,” English said.
Carter was released from the hospital on Friday and returned home surrounded by support. Children are writing him letters and giving him gifts.
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