Thousands raised for Syrian refugee 'waterboarded' at UK school

The UK has rallied to raise funds for a Syrian refugee involved in a "shocking" bullying incident.

The incident occurred in Huddersfield.

The incident occurred in Huddersfield. Source: Twitter

More than $157,000 has been raised for a Syrian refugee who was "waterboarded" by a bully at a UK school.

Video of the incident went viral on Tuesday, with footage showing 15-year-old Jamal being taunted by another student before he is wrestled to the ground.

The aggressor then grabs Jamal's neck and pours a bottle of water over his face. "I'll drown you," the aggressor is heard saying.

The incident occurred in Huddersfield.
The incident occurred in Huddersfield. Source: Twitter


In the fallout, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Jamal and his family and it has so far raised more than £90,000 ($157,000).

The page says this "waterboarding" incident comes after "months of bullying".


"Having left a war-torn country, the least [he] deserves is to live in peace without being harassed."

UK media report that Jamal and his family fled the city of Homs in Syria, which was the location of a three-year siege by the Syrian military from 2011 to 2014.



Police said they were investigating the incident as "a racially-aggravated assault" and had questioned a 16-year-old boy over the footage.

They said the incident occurred on the playing fields of Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield in northern England last month.

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman said the video was "absolutely shocking".

"Have been supporting the family since it was first brought to my attention," he wrote on Twitter.

Goalkeeper for Huddersfield Town FC Jonas Lössl tweeted his support, saying he'd "like to show my love to Jamal by inviting him and his family to a @htafcdotcom game as my guest" .

UK media reported that the Facebook page of the alleged perpetrator contained numerous posts shared from the page of far-right leader Tommy Robinson. 

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25).

Additional reporting by AFP.


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Thousands raised for Syrian refugee 'waterboarded' at UK school | SBS News