it happens on the rugby field Heartstopper

testify against my mother in court!

POV Charlie, Today is a tough day. Today I have to go to court to testify against my own mother about the terrible things she did. I'm very scared and tense but I hope everything will turn out fine. I had to write a letter and gather evidence against me and I did that. Nick is not allowed to go to the hearing and I find that very scary. Sarah drops me off at the court and I walk in with my lawyer on weak knees. I take a seat in the main hall and everyone introduces themselves. A few minutes before they start, my mother comes in with 2 police officers. If looks could have killed they would have killed me. She is put on a chair and fear goes through my body and I start to shake slightly. I hear the hammer fall on a board the hearing begins! Today we are dealing with the case of Charlie Spring against Jane Spring about abuse and neglect. Charlie, would you like to come forward, the judge asks. I nod and take my paper to the front. My mother looks at me angrily. I take a sip of water and start talking. I am Charlie Spring, 17 years old and have been abused by my mother Jane Spring for years. She tied me up, sometimes left me for days and hurt me. Had to see the most horrible things. She stabbed me once more than 14 times, a classmate found me just in time. Jane has thrown me down the stairs several times and made me clean the house. Gave me pills and drugged me while I was tied up. Sometimes I was not fed for more than a week and was given very little water. I never said anything to anyone because I was really afraid she would kill me. 4 weeks ago it happened again. I came home and had gotten a 6 for the Netherlands. Jane thought the grade was too low and hit me several times and said I was a good-for-nothing and worthless. I am now used to being hit, but this was different, I had so much that it is not normal. I went to my room and closed the door. I put on my sweater and a lot of it was purple and blue. I cried, but Jane came upstairs and dragged me to the locker room where she then continued to hurt me. I spent 7 days in the basement with no food and only a little water. After a week I had to go back to school because I had sports day and my mother let you go without eating or drinking. Luckily I had some money and bought some food and drinks for school. My body ached and I felt strange. I thought it would go away but it didn't. I fell while running and they tried with all their might to keep me alive. I've never been so scared. Bone fractures were found and I was malnourished, hence the tube feeding. My life was hell and this woman should never be called Mom again! Tears are running down my cheeks and Jane is furious! I go back to my place and sit down.

POV judge Thank you Charlie for your honesty and your witnesses and you have experienced so many things that should never have happened. We have received several papers from the hospital about knife stabbing, bone fractures and malnutrition, which means that with your story we have a case against your mother. Your mother should not be allowed to make any decisions about you until you are 21 and she is not allowed to contact you under any circumstances. We will sentence your mother to 4 years in prison, of which 2 years are conditional. She would get a contact and street ban from the Nelson family and your school. Your mother would get help here in prison for her sick mind.

POV jane I feel the anger going through me and after this statement I'm fed up. I now also use my right to speak and stand up. I glare at Charlie all the time and if I could hurt him I would! I want to say that Charles was a difficult child and asked for it himself. He removed the blood from under my nails and wanted to die himself for years! And when I wanted to help him with that, it suddenly all went wrong! It's nonsense, his brother Olivier and his sister Tori can confirm that it's all nonsense and not true. I just did what Charlie asked of me.

POV judge Thank you madam, but our decision is made, there is legal and convincing evidence, I will close the hearing.

POV Charlie. Tears are rolling down my cheeks and I am so angry and sad. Why does my mother have to say such ugly and unkind things? I really don't like what she's doing and now she's going to jail and that's nice but that doesn't make anything right. She will be released in 2 years and what will happen then? I feel bad and maybe my mother was right, if I had persevered and died, she would never have hurt me or could have hurt me. Everyone has already left and I am sitting here alone in a large room. My head is filled with nasty thoughts that my mother always tells me