Orc suspected of assault on 11 year old boy

Today, 29 May 2013, a rather odd Tolkien related news story spread through Sweden and I felt like I had to summarize it in English for you.

Men dressed up as Orcs are a recurring attraction at the Medieval Fair in Leksand, Sweden, and are meant to play with the children, supposedly while their parents are away doing less amusing things (shopping). However, this year something must have gone either very wrong or exactly according to plan. Apparently one of the Orcs has been reported to the police for assault on an 11-year old child. Swedish newspaper Dalarnas Tidningar writes that the child was subject to both biting and a stranglehold by the Orc.

Although it does seem quite fitting with violent Orcs, Per “Hornper” Pettersson, one of the responsible for the Medieval Fair, says in a statement to Swedish “almost news”-paper Aftonbladet that the whole thing is a misunderstanding. “Orcs are meant to be destroyed, the children know that. But some children do not play nice. They become a risk both for each other and the Orcs and are not allowed to stay.” He goes on to say that when the problematic children are told to leave they get upset and go cry to their mothers.

Marina Lodén, another responsible for the fair, says to news website Nyheter24 that the whole thing has gone out of proportion. “It is about a boy who had played there for very long and could not behave and they sent him home. And then the mother filed a report.”

The incident is currently being investigated by local police. Sauron has so far declined to comment.