whipping boy

The phrase "whipping boy" refers to a person who is blamed or punished for the mistakes, misdeeds, or shortcomings of others, instead of holding the actual responsible party accountable. It historically referred to a boy who was assigned to take physical punishment on behalf of a prince or royal heir for their wrongdoings. In recent times, the term is used metaphorically to describe someone who is unfairly treated as a scapegoat, usually in a professional or personal context.