Teacher attacked by child blames culture

LONDON, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A British teacher says colleagues who saw a 12-year-old trying to strangle him told him they were afraid to help him because they might be charged with assault.

Colin Adams recently won 250,000 pounds ($375,000) in compensation for the attack, The Daily Mail reported. He said the boy knocked him over, kicked and punched him and then put his hands around his neck.

Another teacher finally moved in to help, later telling Adams he took too long to intervene because he was afraid of the consequences.

Adams, on Thursday, criticized the "can't touch" culture now prevailing in schools and the policy of putting children with severe behavioral problems in ordinary classrooms.

The boy was expelled from the school after the 2004 assault and sent to a supervision program. Adam, who was unable to work because of stress and back problems, spent more than four years seeking compensation for his injuries.