A UK teenager with autism has been left fearing for his life after he was brutally attacked twice in just over a month.
Jacob Comertoglu, 19, has Asperger's Syndrome and lives in Bodmin, Cornwall. On the evening of December 17 2018 he walked into the centre of town to see the Christmas lights.
Unfortunately for him, he ran into a man arguing with his girlfriend who didn't take kindly to being interrupted.
Cornwall Live reports the man, who has since been identified as a local, attacked Mr Comertoglu in the middle of a busy central street.
The teenager was then chased into a nearby alley, and the sickening assault that ensued was filmed by a woman who lives in a property overlooking the alley.
- Bullies won't leave autistic Melbourne teen alone
- Two rottweilers that attacked an autistic man put down
- Dad's furious rant after autistic son rejected from friends' birthday parties
The cellphone footage shows the attacker initially apologising to Mr Comertoglu for his previous aggression. But when the distressed victim doesn't accept his apology, the man becomes enraged and puts his hands around his neck. He can be seen repeatedly hitting and headbutting the teenager while his girlfriend tries to make him stop.
The vicious assault eventually ended and Mr Comertoglu managed to walk home, after which his mother Sally Kinsman took him to hospital.
"The worst thing is that the nurse said there were no defence wounds so Jacob didn't even put his hands up," she told Cornwall Live.
"He said he thought he was going to die and was seeing stars."
The woman who filmed the attack says she didn't realise how badly Mr Comertoglu was being hurt until she saw him being headbutted. She says she immediately called the police, and that fights are "constant" in the alley.
More than a month later, no one has been arrested - and now Mr Comertoglu has suffered a second horrific attack.
On Friday night (local time), the young man was walking through the centre of town again when someone called his name from inside a flat, telling him to come upstairs.
Cornwall Live reports Mr Comertoglu was "lured" into a bathroom where three people beat him with a knuckleduster. He came home bloodied but told his mother he didn't want to go to hospital or report the incident to police after his previous experience.
"He has a chunk missing above his eye and has threatened to commit suicide," Mrs Kinsman told Cornwall Live. "I've had to take time off work to watch him. I'm keeping an eye on him 24/7. He's been given anti-depressants but told it's going to get worse before it gets better."
She believes the people responsible were friends of the man who attacked him in December. She has reported the bathroom incident to police but there have still been no arrests for either assault.
Mrs Kinsman has written to police begging for them to take action against the people who hurt her vulnerable son, who has struggled with depression and tried to take his own life when he was 16.
"My son does not feel safe, he feels as though he has a target on his back because the police have done nothing," she wrote. "This situation has now escalated to a hate crime as my son was attacked again by friends of the suspect. How far does this have to go before actual action is taken against these thugs?"
A crowdfunding page set to up to raise money for the family's legal fees and medical bills has so far raised more than £600 (NZ$1130).
Where to find help and support:
Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
Samaritans - 0800 726 666
Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
Newshub.
