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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Kathleen Spiers & Claire Galloway

Edinburgh schoolboy snatched from street and beaten by gang launches anti-bullying campaign

An Edinburgh schoolboy who was snatched from the streets and subjected to a terrifying ordeal has launched an anti-bullying campaign.

Sonni Murray was out on his bike selling sweets near his home in the Moredun area when a gang of up 12 teenage thugs kidnapped him.

The ten-year-old was taken to the grounds of Liberton High School where he was filmed being forced to fight another boy, reports Edinburgh Live's sister site the Daily Record.

He was then taken to a park at Glenvarloch Crescent where he was beaten again by the gang who claimed they were carrying knives.

Edinburgh Evening News reported that the brutal attack was only brought to an end after a dog walker intervened.

Now, the brave schoolboy has launched an anti-bullying campaign after a crowdfunder was launched to raise money to replace his bike, which was damaged during the attack.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Sonni's dad, who asked not to be named, said: "We've been overwhelmed by the support from the local community after Sonni was attacked.

"Two online fundraising pages have been set up to replace his stolen bike. Over £4,300 has been raised between the two sites.

"Sonni is so grateful, but that's far too much. He wants to put the money to good use and help others."

"The idea is to put a cap on the money that has been raised so far, and put that into a separate Go Fund Me page," Sonni's dad added.

"That money can then be used to get the ball rolling with the campaign.

"We're unsure at this stage whether we'd want to get schools or the council or charities involved.

"But already a group of bikers have been in touch saying that they would take the campaign across the country.

"It's all about raising awareness.

"The support in just a couple of days has been amazing."

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