Schoolyard bully who has been demonised around the world apologises to victim
Schoolyard bully who has been demonised around the world apologises to victim
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Ritchard Gale broke down in tears last night and revealed he had also been a victim of bullying.
The video of Casey body-slamming Ritchard has become a worldwide phenomenon
The Chifley College student apologised but refused to take responsibility for starting the fight, which has become a YouTube and social media sensation.
Heynes became a global Internet sensation after he was filmed picking up Gale in the schoolyard and throwing him to the ground after being repeatedly punched in the face for being "overweight".
Ritchard told a TV show Casey had provoked him before he squared up with the Std X student and punched him in the face.
"He was like 'go to class' and calling me an idiot and stuff. And I didn't like it. And he pushed me and stuff and ran down to the front of the office and that's when I hit him,'' Ritchard said.
"I don't know why (I punched him) because I was just really pissed off at him ... giving me mouth.''
Asked what he'd like to say to Casey, the 12-year-old said he did not realise that Casey had been a victim of bullying.
"Sorry that I picked on him and I didn't know that he'd been bullied his whole school life," he said. Ritchard said he would go and "tell the principal" if he had future problems with older students.
"I'll probably go to the office," he said.
Ritchard, who suffered a bruised leg after being body-slammed into the concrete, admitted he deserved the treatment he received. "If I'd snapped my neck I could've died or got paralysed in a wheelchair," he said.
After admitting that he had been a victim of bullying, Ritchard said his message for other bullies was to stop: "Don't bully because you end up getting hurt bad, maybe worse than me."
Asked if he would bully again, Ritchard laughed and said "most probably not".
His mother Tina Gale said she was shocked at the video showing Casey picking up her son and throwing him down onto the ground. "My son could have been a paraplegic out of it for starters," she said.
Casey a hero
US, UK and Asian newspapers and websites have all run Casey's interview.
In that interview, 15-year-old Casey said he had been bullied almost every day at school and had contemplated suicide a year ago.
The video of Casey body-slamming Ritchard has become a worldwide phenomenon, with millions of people viewing the original video and adaptations in the past week.
Casey, who has not yet returned to school, now has more than 230,000 followers on Facebook and Twitter accounts dedicated to him.
'Not going back'
Meanwhile, Casey's father says he does not think it's safe for Casey to return to Chifley College. "He is not going back there ... it is not a safe place for him," said Colin Heynes.
Casey said that he wouldn't accept an apology from Ritchard as "it's just going to happen again".
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