Reading the report, the story doesn’t quite ring true. An eleven year old boy worried about getting his trousers dirty while playing? Using petrol to remove a stain? And would anyone think it was a good idea to light a match to check if the stain had gone?
It seems to me that the boys were up to some mischief. It doesn’t name the other boys or give their ages and I’m hoping that Robert was not the victim of some kind of attack that he was frightened to report.
Another report from a different local newspaper shows that his clothing was saturated in petrol which doesn’t fit with the stain removal story.
Whatever the case, the injuries he suffered were quite severe and I imagine his recovery would have taken some time. The scars, both physical and mental, would likely have been with him for life.
Shaking The Branches 
Horrific is the right word. He was lucky to survive that.
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Thanks Brad. He was indeed. Poor boy.
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Just awful. I have to agree, it sounds like a little bullying took place.
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It does sound like a poorly thought out story.
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Perhaps things were not considered “fit to print” then. As well, it could have been poor reporting. Would be interesting to know if there had been any follow up commentary. No way though, not to shiver at the thought of the poor young man.
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I can imagine the others getting their story straight to keep themselves out of trouble while poor Robert was in agony. You are so right, I do shiver at the thought.
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