Attacked by TA at his school - please help Tobie Orlowski
Donation protected
TRIGGER WARNING!!! Here is the link to the follow up article from the express and star with the CCTV footage….please please share and help us get proper justice for our boy
Hi my name is Sam and I’m the proud Aunty of our Tobie John Orlowski who we are asking for your help for.
Tobie is so much more than his Autism but let me explain why we are asking for help first…
Tobie is profoundly autistic, non verbal and totally dependant on his AMAZING Mommy, Charlotte (my cousin and friend).
Early last year he was attacked for 19minutes by a trained teaching assistant whilst at school. Charlotte fought long and hard for years to get Tobie a place at this school….over the years the most amazing staff have provided for his every specialised need and it became not only a safe space for Tobie (of which he has very few), but the only respite his mommy would ever feel safe to leave him in the care of. Other than school, he doesn’t leave her side.
That turned our worlds upside down last April. Charlotte collected Tobie from school as usual; she did notice his anxiety seemed heightened. But as he is totally non verbal, Tobie couldn’t (and will never be able to) tell his Mommy what was wrong. By the time Charlotte go home with Tobie; she was called by the school head to be informed that Tobie had in fact been cruelly attacked that day by a teaching assistant. He systematically and covertly harmed Tobie, who was sitting on the gravel playground floor submissively, kneeing, kicking, pushing his face into the ground for 19 MINUTES. Sit silently for that amount of time and if you let it sink in think of what our boy felt for that length of time. In his safe space. Where his Mommy promised him he would be safe. Where up until then, he loved to be. I’ve done it and it hurts my heart more than I ever thought would be possible. Charlotte then found the bruising over several parts of Tobies body that confirmed her worst fears. Her boy had been viciously attacked.
This individual took Tobie to a place he wouldn’t be overlooked by any other staff. Knowing that the only classroom overlooking the area was unused and so there would be no one watching. He didn’t know there was CCTV! It captured the whole 19minute attack. It shows him looking around after each strike to make sure he was still not being observed by anybody who could speak up, several times. Then he attacked again. And again. It shows Tobie trying to turn away from him. It showed Tobie’s head being pushed into the gravel from his submissive seated position. It showed Tobie being kneed in his back, being pushed by his head, being pushed so forcefully he fell backwards onto the floor several times, being pulled by his arms and dragged. However, and heartbreakingly the CCTV footage was so so much worse when we as a family had to watch it in court for the first time. Kicks were seen, the dragging Tobie on the floor was worse than we could ever have imagined. Heartbreaking doesn’t even touch the affect this has had. Yes we wanted to see it in some way because Tobie has never and will never be able to tell us what happened to him on that day, but hand on heart it was the most devastating thing I have ever seen. Not only because I am Tobies family, not only because this was an 11year old extremely vulnerable child being attacked, not only because it took place in what should have been a totally safe place; but also because no human being should ever, ever be attacked in this or any manor. Nor should any victim go without justice.
That day marked a total collapse in any trust and settled nature that Tobie had. The same goes for his devoted Mommy, Nanny, bestie Lyddy and his beloved Grandad (more on Grandad below) He is still suffering today. We all are. His trauma will never be fully realised because of his autism.
We thought as a family that the individual who attacked our vulnerable, gorgeous boy, was going to be held accountable in court when the charges were brought against him. We prayed that justice would be served. We couldn’t change what had happened to our Tobie but we honestly 1000000% thought that we would get justice and therefore prevent this ever happening to anyone at the hands of William Kevin Clifford again.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. When William Kevin Clifford was finally sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 5th July 2024, he didn’t receive anything that could be even slightly classed as appropriate punishment. The severity of the charges against him were categorised as between 1-2 (1 being the most heinous) and the second category being between A-B (again A being the most aggrevated category). As per the official sentencing guidelines, these category’s call for a sentence of between 4-14 years in custody. The judge sentenced him to 9months SUSPENDED for 18months! 150 hours of community service and having to report weekly to the probation service. No court costs because, in the words of the judge, ‘William Kevin Clifford has several mitigating factors and a huge amount of suffering whilst waiting for this case to be concluded; including anxiety, weight gain and the inability to secure any employment or even seek employment in the SEN school environment’……read that again!!!! The defendant’s ‘suffering’ and his previous ‘good character’ were what the justice system thought should be considered the most. That and the ‘overcrowded’ prisons throughout the country….It what universe would any child or vulnerable person in the future, deserve to be at risk of being harmed by a convicted, all be it unpunished, child attacker? Would you want William Kevin Clifford being around your child? No of course not. Any ‘suffering’ he has been deemed to face, was at his own hands! He chose to attack Tobie. He chose to repeatedly do so. He chose to plead not guilty at first. He chose to jump bail. He chose to be that person. So it’s on no one but himself.
Tobie had no say in the suffering he faced and still does. The school have worked tirelessly with Tobie and continue to support Charlotte and Tobie to make him feel it’s one of his safe places again.
The defence barrister said the defendant had expressed deep remorse. Not once has that ‘remorse’ been expressed to Tobie or his Mom. Only to the court for leniency purposes.
No one will ever change my mind that those facts, plus several other facts that I cannot disclose here, should have absolutely been converted into a custodial sentence for what he did and how he tried to hide it. But unfortunately, the Judge at Wolverhampton Crown Court didn’t deem any real punishment was required. The only action the judge took that could be classed as ‘justice’ was lifting the press ban and public reporting of this case. And that was only after the desperate pleas of Mom Charlotte and Tobies barrister. The only purpose such a ban was imposed in the first instance would have only served to protect the defendant; and I defy anyone on this earth with a sense of decency to think that this 6ft 1 male who attacked a vulnerable child whilst in a position of trust deserves any protection of his crime being kept from public knowledge. He’s already got away with physically and mentally harming a child; why does he deserve to be protected when any future children or any person for that matter, could be subject to his kind of ‘treatment’ now that he is free to carry on his life with no real punishment.
One of Tobies biggest fans and support was his much loved Grandad, my Uncle, John Orlowski. He would have been broken by this injustice for his beloved grandson. His health started to deteriorate once we were made aware of the attack on Tobie; his heart (along with the whole family) never recovered from what he deemed as him not protecting his boy. He was always Tobies protector and the person whom Tobie always looked to for comfort in times of trouble. Grandad was the only one Tobie would give affection to without being asked.
His grandad sadly passed away on 7th June 2024. We are still waiting to lay him to rest because of certain complications. Once again another trauma that we are facing and now we don’t even have any comfort in having any real justice for Tobie.
To say that his grandads passing hasn’t been easy on Tobie, as well as all of us around him, doesn’t describe it. He can’t fully understand (which we all are greatful for this small nugget of releif) but he hugely misses his grandads presence and at a time of total grief for herself, his mommy Charlotte stays fiercely on the path of protecting & providing Tobie’s every need. She really is amazingly strong and we have a small but fiercely loving family & friend circle. Tobie will always have his people.
Grandad, John was the main provider of Tobies specialist equipment and security within the home. Now he has gone we need to finish what he started for our boy: and for all that is needed, we are asking for your help where possible. We need to finish making his bedroom and sensory room (for which are his only sanctuaries) safe and catered to his ever growing needs. Anyone with any knowledge of how autism can be one of the hardest challenges to face in a person and their families lifetime and how the most simple of things that may bring security or comfort to Tobie, well bluntly put, they cost several times more than anything that may be need by a neurotypical child. And Tobie is also now in the throes of puberty (he’s 13, was attacked when he was 11!) which adds to his complex needs more than any other NT young man.
So if you can donate and would like to, we would all be so so greatful. Every pound will help this amazing unique young man and finish off the work his grandad so lovingly started despite his health limitations…..nothing was too much for his soulmate Tobie John
Please help if you can; following is Mommy Charlottes description of Tobie’s complex diagnosis’ - she is THE expert in Tobie like no one else could ever be. Tobies complexities were made known to the judge; read them and try and get your head around how ANYONE would think that our boy didn’t deserve proper justice…..
If you’ve read this far then I thank you from the bottom of my heart; it’s a lot and it’s not the easiest of reading but thank you
Tobies most severe diagnosis’ are:
Level 3 autism-non verbal
Anxiety
Obsessive compulsive disorder
ADHD
Global developmental delay
Separation anxiety
Severe sensory processing disorder
Self harm because of his anxiety since the attack has become even more regular (pulling his hair out, punching himself, biting himself).
Tobie John Orlowski didn’t get justice.
Video evidence of his crimes didn’t get William Kevin Clifford any real punishment; how this has happened I will never understand.
THANK YOU for any support; financially or just getting the word out there of this injustice
Help us appeal the unduly lenient sentence if you can;
Date of sentence 05.07.2024
Wolverhampton crown court
Defendant William Kevin Clifford
Main charge; Child cruelty & abuse whilst in a position of trust
Fundraising team: Tobies Protectors (2)
Samantha Pearson
Organizer
England
Charlotte Orlowski
Team member