A
15-year old boy from Oak Park
High School has been
arrested and police say will be charged with assault after lighting a student's
hair on fire. The victim is a 15 year old girl who attends the same school.
Police
say that on Nov. 18th the suspect allegedly used
anti-Semitic slurs against a Jewish girl and then lit her hair on fire. The victim reported the incident to a school counselor on
Nov. 21st and that's when police were notified.
"The
suspect will be charged at this point with assault with a weapon and other
charges may be pending. The department of justice has to review the case to lay
any potential hate crime charges," said Constable Rob Carver, Winnipeg
Police Service.
The
suspect has been suspended and was withdrawn from the school shortly after by
his legal guardian.
An
official from the Pembina Trails School Division says it's the first incident
of this kind the school division has encountered.
"There
are still events where kids are aggressive with one another or some bullying
events and of course we are working at diminishing that," said Lawrence
Lussier, Superintendent with Pembina Trails School Division.
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