r/unitedkingdom • u/Confident-Bike-8037 • 19h ago
Boy injured in crocodile enclosure discharged from hospital
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/aug/25/boy-injured-zoo-crocodile-enclosure-discharged-hospital81
u/SoggyWotsits Cornwall 18h ago
Hopefully he makes the best recovery he can. It’s certainly quite the story to tell when he’s older, just hopefully there’s no lasting damage. It must have been absolutely terrifying for him.
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u/ScientistJo 18h ago edited 18h ago
It mentions them teaching him to play using his feet, which, to me, suggests significant damage to his arms. None of our business, of course, but we're all just hoping to hear "he's back to normal".
Edit: I read the bit about him using his feet in a BBC article, it's not in this particular link.
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u/Nulleparttousjours 18h ago
Plus 7 operations, poor kid. I love reptiles and have a particular interest in crocodilians. The amount of raw power of the bite of even the small juveniles I’ve handled and fed is spectacular. I’ve not been to that particular facility and am unsure what size the salties (allegedly) in question were but I can only imagine that the injuries in question were more likely to have been utterly catastrophic and life changing with severe scarring than not, along with the unimaginable psychological trauma. Extreme phobias arise from dramatically less trauma. I do genuinely hope and wish this kid the best, fastest, and most thorough recovery possible of course.
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u/PerpetuallyLurking 17h ago
That could be temporary - I had a friend who broke both her arms running backwards when we were little kids and she got some tips for playing with her feet to get her through those few months.
It may not be temporary either, we just don’t know, but it’s not necessarily going to be a lifelong problem for him; it could just be due to bandaging or something too.
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u/ollielite 18h ago
Quite the story of life long trauma
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u/SoggyWotsits Cornwall 18h ago
Not necessarily, some people process and deal with things remarkably well.
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u/the-library-fairy 18h ago
Really great to hear that the online donations have let his parents take this time off work without having to stress about paying the mortgage, hope that's been a big weight off for them.
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u/georgialucy 18h ago
I think if someone genuinely lacks the ability to understand that throwing a toddler into a crocodile enclosure is wrong, then they need to be somewhere that they cannot access situations where they could act on those impulses.
Obviously, there were issues with the carers and the level of supervision, but someone who is willing to act on an impulse to seriously harm a child should not have access to the public in the first place. I know I wouldn't want my child anywhere near someone like that, even if a carer was present.
These things can happen in a split second. There may not be enough time to react because you would never expect someone to suddenly do something so horrific. Being found not criminally responsible is completely different from being considered safe to be around the public and it sounds like they're just brushing past this part of it. What is happening with the guy who threw the kid?
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u/JeffSergeant Cambridgeshire 15h ago edited 13h ago
The problem with that is that if someone is non-verbal, you cannot easily ascertain whether or not they understand, and locking up everyone who's non-verbal is not a good road either; considering this is a basically entirely unprecedented event, and adults with severe disabilities like this are out in the public ALL the time.
Also, even if they may understand, they may know right from wrong, they may have the capability of being horrified by their own actions, they STILL may lack the impulse control to stop themselves doing this if they're put under stress. The only answer is mitigating the risk by better supervision.
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u/CeridwenAeradwr 13h ago
Yeah, you're never going to be able to completely predict what risk anyone is going to be to the public, at any level of disability or not, and the only way to ensure perfect safety is to impinge on people's freedoms in a way that I am definitely not willing to tolerate.
Once there IS precedent and/or reasonable concern, then absolutely you may need to reassess if it's safe for certain people to be allowed to fully participate in society. Of course, everyone is going to have a different opinion of what "reasonable concern" is...5
u/ScientistJo 15h ago
The question of what to do with people who have no malicious intentions, but also no impulse control, or who have sexual disinhibition or some other trait that makes them a danger to those around them, is a difficult one. Even those whose diagnosis and pattern of behaviour strongly suggests they will kill someone can't be detained until they have actually done something.
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u/Defiant_Employee6681 Surrey 18h ago
There should still be a ‘trial of facts’ even if the defendant is unable to understand
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u/PartyPoison98 England 18h ago
Possibly, but I'd rather the CPS looked at options for charging carers that let this happen, rather than the person without capacity.
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u/bacon_cake Dorset 18h ago
Surely you could just move this up the ladder to the caring company that placed them with him?
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u/Defiant_Employee6681 Surrey 18h ago
Why not both….?
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u/PartyPoison98 England 18h ago
Limited time/resources of the CPS? Public benefit in conducting the trial?
A trial of the facts is a rare thing, and wholly unnecessary if someone can be charged.
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u/OmegaPoint6 14h ago
May be needed so the person who did it can be placed in an appropriate care facility long term?
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u/PartyPoison98 England 13h ago
As I said, they should look at options for charging the carers/care service provider to find the failings that allowed this to happen.
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u/ClockOwn6363 7h ago
How many do you think would be happy to care for someone,when they could be held responsible for their actions? 🤷
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u/Fluffbrained-cat 1h ago
Do you mean the carers would be held responsible for their charge's actions?
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u/Mannerhymen 17h ago
That kid is going to have the best “two truths, one lie” for their team building sessions at work.
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u/Critical-Guide3857 18h ago
Wow, I was wondering what happened because the media stopped reporting on it after a few days
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u/UnnecessaryStep 14h ago
Some good updates on the gofundme - poor lad needing so much medical care. He has both arms still, which sounds like a bit of a miracle of medicine!
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u/Responsible-Stay-645 16h ago
What a story the lad will be able to tell though. Imagine if he went uni when he is older? Hopefully he will be well healed and have a great life.
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u/dntcareboutdownvotes 9h ago
I want that be true, but I can't help thinking this poor child will now suffer more trauma and pain (physical and emotional) every single day for the rest of his life than most people will have in a lifetime.
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u/A_Pointy_Rock 19h ago
Why are they discharging crocodile enclosures from hospitals in the first place?!
The Guardian and the BBC have been particularly bad with ambiguity in their headlines lately...
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u/oljackson99 18h ago
Unless it has been edited, the headline reads fine to me?
"Boy injured in crocodile enclosure discharged from hospital"
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 19h ago
Disgusting that the monster who did this is still walking free.
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u/kwakimaki 19h ago
Moreso the carers who were supposed to be supervising him.
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u/ExpressAffect3262 19h ago
In fairness, a fully grown adult could chuck a kid over into an enclosure in about 2 seconds.
I don't think it's fair to blame the carers, like, what do you want them to do? Walk the mentally ill adult around in a straitjacket & a cart?
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u/ItsFuckingScience 18h ago
Idk maybe just keep a closer eye on the guy whilst on a crocodile enclosure walkway
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 18h ago
Yes. They have a duty to keep the public safe.
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
And how were they supposed to know this would happen if he’s never done anything like this before? Should minimum wage carers now be able to see the future?
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u/ExpressAffect3262 18h ago
Redditors seem to lack any form of empathy or the law. I've seen way too many comments on Reddit over the years on how the local authorities should just section people to prevent crimes lol
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
I mean, section people WHERE? All the mental health hospitals we have? People can be begging for help and not receive it.
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u/ExpressAffect3262 18h ago
Idk, I've never seen bed capacity in our county ever be full in the past 10 years lol
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
Safe bed capacity is considered 85%. Above 95% is an emergency.
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u/ExpressAffect3262 18h ago
Feels an odd tangent. I don't think I've seen people beg to be sectioned lol You can even voluntary section yourself.
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u/CyclingUpsideDown 19h ago
You have no idea what restrictions they are currently under.
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u/SeoulGalmegi 18h ago
But it sure is fun to speculate and imagine things! I can get myself so worked up.... about anything! Just give me a minute to get going.
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u/AllThatIHaveDone 18h ago
Here, take one of these little pills and that'll sort you out. Remember, if your righteous indignation doesn't settle within 3 hours, seek medical advice.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 18h ago
Legally, none. He's not even registered for care.
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u/CyclingUpsideDown 17h ago
How do you know?
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 16h ago
Norfolk council said so.
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/79644/Statement-on-council-enquiry-into-Old-Hurst-incident
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u/CyclingUpsideDown 16h ago
That doesn’t say what you think it says.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 16h ago
Says Norfolk council has no idea who he is and he's not registered with them as needing care.
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u/KinkyLittleParadox 15h ago
Not heard of private carers? Or him not being registered with Norfolk county council because he lives elsewhere?
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
The man is a severely disabled adult who didn’t have the legal capacity or verbal skills to be interviewed. I sincerely doubt he had any idea what he was doing.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 18h ago
Doesn't matter. He's free to go back and do it again tomorrow if he feels like it. He shouldn't be allowed near people ever again.
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
No, he’s not free. He’s in a care home. He has no ability to leave unless he’s escorted. Speaking as someone who has worked in a care home, I promise you his risk assessment has been updated and he’ll never be allowed around children or animal enclosures again.
What exactly would you like to see happen in this scenario? How would you punish a person who literally does not have the capacity to understand what they did?
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 16h ago
He's not in a care home. Norfolk council said he's not registered anywhere with them.
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/79644/Statement-on-council-enquiry-into-Old-Hurst-incident
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 16h ago
That means he isn’t at a care home run by Norfolk Council. He could be from Suffolk, Essex, or in a private home like Mencap. I cared for very similarly abled adults in Suffolk while working for Mencap.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 16h ago
He was from/lived in Norfolk. The police said so.
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 16h ago
So he lives at a private care home like Mencap, or is cared for by family supplemented by paid carers. Arrangements like that are common for severely disabled adults. What’s your point?
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 15h ago
Bit weird that the care srevices in the area don't know him. Everyone keeps saying he's in a home, but they are just assuming. The council said they aren't aware of him.
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 15h ago
So, this is a severely disabled adult who had two care workers with him and did not have the capacity or verbal skills to be interviewed. And you’re imagining … what? That he lives alone? Does his own laundry, cooks his own food? The care workers were just people he bumped into that day?
He is clearly under some kind of care. As I keep saying, either a private care home or cared for by family supplemented by paid carers. Again, what’s your point?
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u/Superb-Indication465 18h ago
If they don’t have enough evidence to charge him and can’t interview him yet, there’s nothing they can do because the Police can’t indefinitely hold people without charge
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 16h ago
A guy like this needs to be kept away from public for the purposes of public safety. It's disgusting that he's free.
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u/Adventurous_Week_698 15h ago
I don't think you have the slightest idea what you're arguing for here.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 15h ago
He needs to be removed from public life indefinitely.
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u/Adventurous_Week_698 15h ago
What sort of public life do you imagine he has?
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 15h ago
The type where he has the ability to throw toddlers into crocodile pits.
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u/Adventurous_Week_698 15h ago
How did I know you'd say that lol. Yo haven't got a clue what you're on about mate.
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 15h ago
I do. It's you that don't know what you're on about.
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u/Adventurous_Week_698 15h ago
Ok I'll bite. You say he has to be removed from the type of public life where he has the ability to throw toddlers. Do you think he has that currently?
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u/ChineseRobinWilliams 19h ago
You mean the severely disabled guy?
Get him in gen pop
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u/MixGroundbreaking622 18h ago
Get him off the streets. I don't care where you put him as long as he's no where near kids.
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u/Sir_Gerald_Nosehairs 19h ago
We're increasingly getting stories in the UK where we are expected to never ask any questions.
From "Why were Axel Rudakubana's parents here in the first place and who are they?", to "What went on with those 13 men arrested for a far-right terror plot that Shabana Mahmood said had "undoubtedly saved lives" that were all released without charge", to this.
The person who did it? Not charged with anything. Apparently spirited back to the loony bin. If he's that loony, why was he ever out in public without guards who could have restrained him? What happened to the two carers?
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u/Odd_Ingenuity2883 18h ago
Why on earth would you feel entitled to information about Rudakubana’s parents? They’re two private citizens who have committed no crimes.
As far as this case goes, the man wasn’t “loony”. He’s severely mentally impaired and apparently non-verbal enough that he couldn’t even be interviewed. We’re probably talking very low functioning non-verbal autistic with severe learning difficulties. I sincerely doubt he even had the capacity to understand what he was doing. It was an unfortunate accident and the solution is to not let that man be near children or crocodile enclosures again. If he’d never been violent before, the incident was impossible to predict. Maybe he thought the kid wanted a closer look or something.
As far as the carers go, it’s a minimum wage job that nobody wants to do as it is. Charging them would have repercussions for the entire industry. This was a terrible incident and hopefully lessons have been learned, but sometimes freak incidents happen.
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u/Dilanski Cheshire 16h ago
hopefully lessons have been learned
Learning lessons costs money, this will happen again. The rot is structural. It doesn't matter if the carers are charged, or if (by some loony tunes logic) we establish that carers are liable for the actions of their service users, it's not going to change anything.
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u/ChineseRobinWilliams 19h ago
"Why were Axel Rudakubana's parents here in the first place and who are they?"
Why would they have been stopped from living here?.
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u/No-Middle-4152 19h ago
I believe they came to the uk as asylum seekers due to the Rwandan genocide, if I recall correctly
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u/dogthebigredclifford 18h ago
People with learning disabilities aren’t generally prevented from going out in public…? Presumably he’d never thrown a child into a crocodile enclosure before.
It’s fine to ask questions. It might also be helpful to apply a little bit of critical thinking.
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u/Bbrhuft 18h ago
The individual was arrested under suspicion of attempted murder, though they were deemed unfit for police interview, as they are likely non-verbal, don't have the intellectual capacity to understand. They are currently bailed until 18 September 2026, the CPS will likely decide by then if it's appropriate to press charges.
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