A 14-year-old boy in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, attacked another 14-year-old girl with a knife in what police described as a "frenzied" assault. The incident occurred on March 15 when the boy followed the girl into a local shop after she had previously refused to go out with him. Surveillance footage captured the boy approaching the girl calmly with his hands in his pockets before suddenly pulling out a blade and attacking her during a struggle. The girl sustained cuts to her face and neck, and a shopkeeper was also injured while trying to stop the attack. The boy, who comes from Wiltshire, admitted to causing grievous bodily harm and was given a one-year referral order, which is a form of youth justice that involves supervision and support rather than a formal criminal record. The attack was linked to months of online harassment, as the boy had been using fake social media accounts to contact the girl after she turned down his advances. Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher, who is leading the investigation, compared the case to a dramatic TV storyline in which a boy kills a girl from his class after being rejected. He emphasized that the case highlights a growing concern in Gloucestershire about teenage relationship abuse. Currently, such abuse is not classified as domestic abuse under the law, as both victims were under the age of 16. In a victim impact statement presented to Bristol Crown Court, the girl described how the attack has affected her life. She now feels scared and nervous in public, often flinching at the sight of people's hands. She said she was in shock after the incident and avoided going outside for several days. She has been experiencing nightmares and now requires someone to drive her to work because she is afraid of being alone outside. Det Supt Fletcher noted that the attack could have been fatal and that both victims were "really, really lucky" to have only suffered minor injuries. He called for increased awareness and support for young people facing relationship violence, stressing the importance of addressing these issues before they escalate.