Second alleged assault at Oak Park High School prompts arrests

Winnipeg police made arrests in a second alleged assault at a Charleswood high school, while investigating an attack against a different student who is a newcomer from Ukraine.

The 14-year-old newcomer’s mother said a group of girls was allegedly responsible for both assaults, which occurred a day apart in the same washroom at Oak Park High School.

“It’s a really serious situation,” the mother told the Free Press. “I feel so sad. I was shocked when I found out (about the other assault).”

Both victims are from Ukraine, said the mother, who does not believe they were targeted because of their backgrounds.

Two girls are facing charges in the assault of her daughter, which happened Oct. 2. She said one of the suspects was among two who were arrested for the other assault, which occurred Oct. 1.

The three suspects were expelled, while two other students were suspended, said the mother, whom the Free Press is not naming.

Pembina Trails School Division would not provide details of the incidents, nor would it say if any students were disciplined. Division spokeswoman Radean Carter said the Oct. 1 incident was not immediately reported to the school.

Last week, the mother of the Oct. 2 victim met with Oak Park’s principal and police to discuss a safety plan for her daughter. It came after she originally spoke to the Free Press because she wasn’t satisfied with the way the situation was being handled.

“The last meeting showed me the school is starting to work at this situation,” said the woman, whose family moved to Canada after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “I feel they are doing everything, step-by-step, that they need to do.”

Carter said the school and the division are providing “extensive” supports to the students involved.

She said the school and division have followed policies related to standard of behaviour, and worked in cooperation with police.

The mother said her daughter’s accent and appearance were mocked during the Oct. 2 assault.

The family previously shared a cellphone video — recorded by a student who was in a closed washroom stall — in which girls accused the victim of saying negative things about them, which she denied, moments before she was assaulted.

The family has since shared a video, which they say was recorded by a member of the group, that showed an unobstructed view of the assault.

The footage showed the woman’s daughter leaning against a bathroom wall as she was punched in the head by a girl, grabbed by the hair and thrown to the floor.

The victim’s upper body and head were then stomped on four times, and she was punched in the back four times by the same girl.

The victim was heard crying while, in a seated position, she was kicked in the face. Her head bounced against a washroom stall from the impact of the kick.

As she held her arms over her head to protect herself, a voice was heard saying: “OK, that was fun.” The mother said the voice was that of the girl who punched and kicked her daughter in the footage.

She was thankful her daughter, who suffered bruises and scratches, did not have serious injuries. The mother was distraught after viewing the videos.

She said her daughter was upset after learning the video of the assault was circulated among her peers.

“If (the girls involved) are sharing the video of my daughter being assaulted, that means they are feeling so proud of what they were doing,” the mother said.

She said her daughter has returned to school after feeling unsafe, but continues to feel anxious.

“I was really under stress the last two weeks. I didn’t sleep too well the last two weeks thinking, ‘How can I help my daughter? How can I protect her?’” the woman said.

Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Claude Chancy confirmed an assault involving a different complainant was reported.

“Arrests were made regarding this incident, and the victim appears to also be a of Ukrainian background,” he wrote in an email.

The motive for the assaults has not been determined, Chancy said.

The mother of the girl who was assaulted Oct. 2 said she hopes, by speaking out, that everyone involved will be supported, including the students who were arrested or disciplined, and that the situation helps to prevent bullying or assaults at Oak Park.

She hopes the girls who were arrested or disciplined learn lessons from the incidents.

“I understand the three (who were arrested) are kids, and we have to find opportunities to help them,” the mother said. “I hope that the two (suspended) girls who will come back to school soon, (the school) will be able to work with them to change them.”

After the Free Press published a report about the Oct. 2 assault, Oak Park’s principal sent a letter to parents and guardians to acknowledge the incident, and assure them it was being addressed.

The Ukrainian newcomer’s mother said she hopes the letter encourages parents and guardians of all students to talk to their children about kindness and respect for others.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca