Teenage girl gang filmed attacking train staff and police walk free from court - after blaming it on 'mass hysteria'
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A teenage girl gang who went viral on social media after they were filmed attacking train staff, passengers and police officers in an alcohol-fuelled rampage have been spared jail. The five girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threw punches, headbutts and ripped out hair in an incident described as 'mass hysteria'.
![[The five girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threw punches, headbutts and ripped out hair in an incident at Barnham Railway Station in West Sussex in March]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/20/83110849-14211485-A_wide_shot_at_the_start_of_the_video_shows_three_boys_on_the_pl-a-2_1734639565642.jpg)
One girl held up a clump of hair from the head of a rail passenger like a trophy during the hour-long melee, a court heard. A judge said videos of the incident showed the girls were relentless, completely out of control and showing an ongoing determination to wreak havoc.
![[The judge told all five girls they would have been jailed for the attack on fellow passengers, train staff and police officers if they had been old enough]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/20/83110843-14211485-The_judge_told_all_five_girls_they_would_have_been_jailed_for_th-a-7_1734639885702.jpg)
'It was chaos, mayhem, bedlam,' District Judge Teresa Szagun said. The youngest was only 13 when a fight started at Barnham Railway Station in West Sussex between the group and another young girl. Members of the public, train staff and police who tried to intervene were attacked by the girls.
![[Two men needed hospital treatment and one victim had a substantial amount of hair pulled form her head, Brighton Magistrates' Court heard]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/19/20/93331395-14211485-image-m-10_1734639903089.jpg)
Local residents claimed the usually quiet village of Barnham was being held hostage by feral youth after footage of the girl gang went viral on social media. A teenage girl gang who went viral on social media after they were filmed attacking train staff, passengers and police officers in an alcohol-fuelled rampage have been spared jail.
The five girls, who cannot be named for legal reasons, threw punches, headbutts and ripped out hair in an incident at Barnham Railway Station in West Sussex in March. All five admitted affray and assaults on train staff, police and members of the public.
