Autistic student terrified by 'Psycho' shower scene

Douglas Parr, 13, attends mainstream classes at Comberton Village College in England, where he was shown the famous scene from the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "Psycho" in which Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, repeatedly stabs Janet Leigh through a shower curtain.

Parr was very distressed by the scene, and his teaching assistant removed him from the class when he became ill. His mother Kate Bourne said Douglas was unable to eat and was terrified of going to bed on Monday night.

Bourne said no consent was requested from parents for the 15-certificate film to be shown. The film designation in the U.K. means the film is for ages 15 and up.

Bourne emailed the school saying she couldn't understand why a film rated for those 15 and older was shown to her 13-year-old son. "This is the most violent and vicious scene in the entire film and is not a suitable scene to be shown to children in school."

In an email to Bourne, the teacher said the clip had been used to illustrate how music was integral to the mood of a film, but that the film would not be used again.

Bourne told BBC News that she was "happy to accept the teacher's apology and delighted that he said he would change his teaching plan and not use the film again," but added that "you should use your loaf" and get consent before showing more mature films to children.