Police probe assault on Ukrainian teen at school

A 14-year-old Ukrainian newcomer feels unsafe at her Winnipeg high school after she was swarmed by a group of girls and assaulted in a washroom last week.

City police confirmed two people were arrested Monday in response to the Free Press’s inquiry about an assault at Oak Park High School in Charleswood.

“She’s still afraid of this group of kids,” said the Grade 9 student’s mother, who moved her family to Winnipeg in 2022 to escape Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

“I was shocked that this can happen at school. I would like to make sure it will be a safe place for her in the future, and for other kids as well.”

The mother said five girls confronted her daughter in a washroom shortly before noon Oct. 2, and accused the teen of saying negative things about them. She said her daughter told them it wasn’t true.

The mother said her daughter was mocked over her appearance and her accent just before she was assaulted.

“It was like (they were) trying to provoke her,” she said.

One of the girls allegedly slammed the teen’s head against a counter. The teen was kicked in the head, back and legs after being pushed to the floor, her mother said.

She said her daughter had scratches and bruises, and was checked over by a doctor afterward.

“Thankfully, she didn’t get serious injuries,” the mother said.

She showed videos to a reporter that she said were recorded by a student who was in a washroom stall. The camera lens was pointed at a stall door and floor in both videos.

“Thankfully, she didn’t get serious injuries.”

In one clip, a girl was overheard denying saying negative things about other girls. She was told to look in a mirror, while her appearance was mocked.

The mother said the second video was recorded while her daughter was kicked multiple times. The clip showed a girl pressed against the stall’s frame while on the floor, with her body reacting to blows.

The mother said she still feels shaken when she watches the videos.

Her daughter told her that one of the girls in the group also used a cellphone to record the incident.

The mother said police told her that assault charges would be laid, while the school’s administration told her that suspensions would be issued.

She has kept her daughter at home most days since the incident. She said her daughter will not feel safe when the other girls are at school.

Police spokesman Const. Stephen Spencer confirmed two arrests took place Monday. Police would not disclose details about the incident or reveal information about charges or the people who were arrested.

Pembina Trails School Division spokeswoman Radean Carter said school staff are “co-operating fully” with the police investigation, and are providing supports for the student and their family.

The division would not say whether any students had been disciplined.

“Is there really a safe place anywhere?”

Pembina Trails has policies related to standard of behaviour and bullying. Students receive a variety of programming related to social emotional learning and character education, Carter said.

Tracy Vaillancourt, the Canada Research Chair in school-based mental health and violence prevention, said it’s rare for situations, such as bullying, to escalate into physical violence in schools, especially among girls.

“It’s quite atypical for (girls) to be physically aggressive. Physically aggressive girls in high school are even rarer,” the University of Ottawa professor said.

“Group think” can take over quickly, causing people to behave in ways they wouldn’t as an individual, she said.

Joanne Lewandosky, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Manitoba provincial council, was disappointed when she learned about the assault.

“Is there really a safe place anywhere?” she said.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca