Susan Boyle Explains Why She's Chosen To 'Forgive' The Local Youths Who Targeted Her

Susan Boyle has said she is holding off contacting the authorities, after being targeted by a gang of teenagers in her local area.

Last month, it was reported that Susan had been followed by a group of youths near her home in Blackburn, West Lothian, who shouted names at her, as well as setting fire to a piece of paper and throwing it at her face.

At the time, the ‘I Dreamed A Dream’ singer’s spokesperson said they were considering contacting the authorities, particularly as Susan wasn’t the only local resident who they had targeted, but she’s now revealed she’s had a change of heart.

Opening up to the Daily Record, she said: “I’m good at forgiveness. They are kids at the end of the day.

“They should know better and I want to give them the opportunity to see right from wrong before I am forced to contact authorities… I just wanted them to have the chance to correct their behaviour and pack it in.”

She added: “I’ve been bullied off and on for years and it’s always been dealt with. I’m always apologised to and I believe in not retaliating.”

Susan previously insisted that she wasn’t going to let the bullies force her out of the home she’s lived in her entire life, claiming: “Why should I move because of a group of daft laddies, who at 15 years old should know to behave better?” 

Throughout her career, Susan has repeatedly spoken out about being bullied as a child, having been told in her early years that she had suffered brain damage at birth.

However, in her later life, this was revealed not to be the case, and she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.

Last year, around the release of her latest album, she told HuffPost UK that she hoped to inspire others with the condition, explaining: “You hear the word Asperger’s and you say to yourself, ‘oh God, she’s got a disability.’ But then you turn that on its head, and you say, ‘she’s got a disability- so what?’.

“My talking about [having Asperger’s] tries to educate other people as to what they can do. There are people in high places, who have Asperger’s. And they do very well.

“There’s no negativity, it’s all positive. It used to be there, I’m going to be honest, it used to be there. But I’ve turned that around.”