A brave 6-year-old boy is recovering after being viciously attacked. He was beaten so bad that he needed emergency eye surgery. His story is absolutely heartbreaking, but his attacker won’t be getting arrested.

Six-year-old Carter English says he was assaulted after he stood up to a group of bullies who were attacking his friend.

Dana English left Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with her son after he had a morning surgery to repair a laceration in his eye. “It’s been hell,” she said. “I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. I can’t do anything. I can’t even leave his side.”

According to Carter, the kids, who are around his age, attacked him at his Olympia apartment complex. He stated that he’d confronted the group for bullying his friend. “They were just bullying him, like beating him up,” he said. “I just told them to stop... and then they did it to me.”

They bullies beat him with rocks and sticks and rubbed sawdust in his eyes. The assault left Carter with a broken arm, a lacerated eye and several cuts and bruises across his head and face.

Olympia Police launched an investigation into the incident, and have identified the five-year-old who they believe started it. Police plan on getting social services involved, revealing that the case was briefly presented to the prosecutor’s office but that there will be no criminal referral because of the children’s ages. Carter may need surgery on his arm.

“I really don’t know what I’m hoping for other than for people to know that this is not acceptable,” his mother said. “Bullying is not okay. There’s no reason to bully someone ever."

Friends launched a GoFundMe account to help the family with medical expenses.