WARNING: This story contains a graphic description of an attack.
Kelowna RCMP say three youths were arrested and released on strict conditions Tuesday for their part in an attack on a 13-year-old girl that was widely circulated on video.
All three arrested are under the age of 18, according to Sgt. Laura Pollock. The three are among five “aggressors” identified by investigators, she said.
“No one has been charged yet. We’re in the early stages of the investigation,” said Pollock. “Our general investigative support team continues to investigate, including making any outstanding arrests.”
The attack happened at Boyce-Gyro Beach Park on Sept. 27 at around 8:30 p.m. and was witnessed by approximately 30 youths, according to Pollock.
RCMP in the Okanagan are investigating a violent and public attack on a teen girl. As Brady Strachan reports, it happened Friday in a Kelowna park. Video of the incident has been circulating in the community.
CBC News has reviewed the video. It involves a single girl being surrounded by a number of other teenagers, many of whom are appearing to film a verbal altercation.
The girl is thrown to the ground and punched in the head by multiple people, after which she has dirt or sand thrown on her.
As the girl lies on the ground, not moving after the attack, a number of others continue to throw dirt at her and yell.
Pollock said the age of the victim and assailants limits how much information police are able to release.
RCMP officers in Kelowna, B.C., say they have arrested three youths under 18 in connection to a targeted swarming attack that put a 13-year-old girl in hospital with serious injuries. Video of the attack, which involved multiple youths, was widely circulated on social media.
Pollock thanked two unnamed youths — one who called police and one who attempted to stop the attack— and issued a plea to stop sharing video of the assault.
“I know from my work with victims that have been exploited through imagery and continuous circulation of video and photos when they are a victim of crime that it has profound and lasting impacts,” she said. “The video is degrading and an attempt to humiliate.”
Police are asking anyone with information about the assault, including any witnesses who have yet to speak with investigators, to come forward.
Kelowna RCMP said there were 41 reported incidents of youth violence in 2023, an increase from 16 in 2022. More than 30 per cent of the 2023 cases involved a weapon, including bear spray.
Kevin Kaardal, superintendent of the Central Okanagan School District, said even though the violence didn’t happen in a school, it could spill back into one.
“Our goal is about supporting the victim and those traumatized around it. And then finding ways to support and have those engaged in the violence educated, but also understanding the severity of the actions they have taken and providing other alternatives for the future.”
Kaardal said teachers are not addressing the specific incident in classrooms.
“The anti-bullying and ‘don’t be a bystander’ [curricula] … is ongoing work in the district,” he said.
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas said he was shocked by news of the assault.
“My thoughts are with the young victim and her family during this incredibly difficult time, and I wish her a full and swift recovery,” he said in a statement.
“I have been in contact with the RCMP Superintendent and have full confidence in the work they are doing to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
Heather Ferguson, a registered clinical counsellor and member of the faculty at the Gordon Neufeld Institute, says that the recent targeted attack on a teenager may indicate children are taking their cues from their peers instead of adults. She says caregivers need to be involved with their children.
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