Richmond father speaks out after 14-year-old daughter assaulted at school
Richmond father speaks out after 14-year-old daughter assaulted at school
A father in Richmond says he's going through a whirlwind of emotions in the aftermath of his 14-year-old daughter being beaten unconscious on school grounds.
The victim was allegedly assaulted Thursday at Hugh Boyd Secondary School. The suspect is a 17-year-old-boy who is also a student. He was arrested last week and then released to a guardian. Neither of the teens can be identified because they are under 18.
The girl suffered what police describe as "serious, but not life-threatening" injuries.
"I'm happy that she's able to walk and talk and all that, but still, very upset that even this happened," the father told CTV News.
He said he's also disappointed in the school for not contacting him immediately, he was instead called in by his younger daughter and daughter's friends.
"It would have been a lot nicer if the school actually was the one [who called] right away," he said.
The victim told CTV News the attack was shocking, unprovoked, and hateful.
"He comes running up to me and calls me the F-slur, and says that he hates all Asians. And that all Asians are ugly. And then, I was on the floor and he was trying to attack me," she recalled.
"Then he punched me and then I passed out."
She was sent to hospital following the incident and has made several return visits since being released.
"She's tougher than most kids I would know," said her father.
The 14-year-old girl said she had never interacted with the 17-year-old student before.
"He thought I was telling people he liked another girl when I didn't. And I don't think I could've known anyways because I've never even spoke to him at all before that," she said.
Meanwhile, Mounties say they are are working with the Richmond school district to ensure students' "safety and well-being" following the assault.
On Tuesday, Richmond RCMP said the incident remains under investigation by its Youth Section, which deals with incidents at schools under the parameters of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
"We recognize that these types of incidents can have a detrimental effect on an entire school community," Cpl. Ian Henderson said in a statement.
"Richmond RCMP’s Victim Services personnel and School Liaison Officers are engaged and working with the Richmond School District to ensure the safety and well-being of all those affected."
The district said additional counselling is being offered to the school community as well.
A spokesperson told CTV News the older student had not returned to Hugh Boyd as of Tuesday morning.
"As outlined in the Richmond School District Code of Conduct, the Board of Education recognizes its obligation to all members of the school community to provide a positive climate and a safe, healthy environment," the district said in a statement Friday afternoon.
"To that end, it is expected that all members of the school community will conduct themselves in an ethical and lawful manner that demonstrates respect for self, others, property and the environment."
Meanwhile, the 14-year-old victim says she's appreciative of her friends and family's support and feels more confident about returning to school in the near future, adding that she hopes more will be done to ensure her and her peers' safety.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's role uncertain as NATO embarks on greatest overhaul since Cold War
As NATO prepares to embark on the greatest overhaul of the alliance’s deterrence capabilities since the Cold War at a leaders’ summit in Spain, Canada’s role in the new defence strategy remains uncertain.

Most domestic flights in Canada getting cancelled, delayed: data firm
More than half of all domestic flights from some of Canada's major airports are being cancelled or delayed, recent data has shown.
Canadians who want a Nexus card will have to travel to U.S. to get it
A Nexus card is supposed to help put low-risk Canadians on the fast track when crossing the U.S. border, but at least 330,000 Canadians aren’t sure when their applications will be processed.
Some cities rethinking Canada Day parades amid rising costs, funding challenges
Canada Day celebrations are making a return after two years of scaled-down festivities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some Canadians hoping to catch a traditional parade may be out of luck.
2 suspects killed, 6 police officers injured in shooting at bank in Saanich, B.C.
Six police officers are in hospital with gunshot wounds and two suspects have been killed following a shooting at a bank in Saanich, B.C., on Tuesday.
Memorial service today for RCMP Const. Heidi Stevenson, killed in N.S. mass shooting
An RCMP officer who was among 22 people killed in the 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting is being remembered today during a regimental memorial service in Halifax.
'I just pray that they are going to be fine': Witnesses recall violent shooting at B.C. bank
Witnesses recount what they saw after police officers engaged in a shooting with armed suspects at a bank in Saanich, B.C., on Tuesday morning. Two suspects are dead and six officers are in hospital with gunshot wounds.
Barrie, Ont., man sentenced for masterminding landmark Ponzi scheme
The mastermind of an elaborate Ponzi scheme that cheated hundreds of people of tens of millions of dollars was sentenced Tuesday in a Barrie, Ont., courtroom. Charles Debono has been behind bars since his arrest in 2020 for his role in one of the largest Ponzi schemes in Canadian history.
Hindu man killed in filmed attack as religious tensions boil in India
Tensions were high Wednesday in the western Indian city of Udaipur, a day after police arrested two Muslim men accused of slitting a Hindu tailor's throat and posting a video of it on social media, in a brutal attack representing a dramatic escalation of communal violence in a country riven by deep religious polarization.