Several 'aggressors' arrested after B.C. teen swarmed, B.C. RCMP say

Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week – and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.

Multiple bystanders recorded the assault, which took place at Kelowna's Gyro Beach on the night of Sept. 27. The videos show a 13-year-old girl being beaten until she's motionless on the ground, with dozens of onlookers watching from the sidelines.

On Wednesday, the Kelowna RCMP confirmed that investigators identified "five aggressors" allegedly involved in the incident, and that officers have arrested three of them.

“We will be monitoring them to ensure they are complying with these conditions and attending any future court dates”, said Sgt. Laura Pollock at a press conference.

Pollock also urged the public not to share videos of the attack, to prevent "profound and lasting impacts" on the teenage victim – and to avoid unintended impacts on the investigative process.

"The sharing of evidence can negatively impact witnesses that we have yet to interview and the prosecution of this case," she said.

"While the conversation and work around ending violence is paramount, the continuous sharing of this video is not aiding in a collective stand against violence."

According to the RCMP, approximately 30 people were present at the time of the swarming incident, and only two "phoned the police and attempted to intervene." Pollock thanked both of them for their compassion.

The young victim had just started her first year of high school, according to her father Donovan. CTV News is not sharing the family's surname to protect the victim's privacy.

The girl suffered bruised ribs and a concussion in the attack, her father said.

Speaking to CTV News Wednesday, Donovan explained it’s every father’s worst nightmare to see their child brutally beaten on video.

“I don’t want anybody to have to ever watch their kid go through that.”

Attack reminscent of Reena Virk murder, expert says 

Bonnie Leadbeater is a psychology professor at the University of Victoria with a focus on youth and developmental psychology. She is also a founding director of the Centre for Youth and Society, which studies youth victimization and bullying.

She says the case bears a disturbing resemblance to one from decades ago.

“Well of course this rings bells of the 14-year-old girl who died in Victoria”, explained Leadbeater.

She was working with the group of police who discovered Reena Virk’s body while she was researching youth violence at the university.

Virk was beaten and killed by a group of teenagers after being lured to a bridge in Saanich, just outside of Victoria, in the late 90s.

“I think the difference now, between this and 1998 of course is that this can be recorded and they frequently are recorded and the people who are perpetrating these problems are held accountable.”

Leadbeater says although the suspects involved in the assault have been arrested, those on the sidelines who stood by and didn’t call for help are also to blame.

“We really need to think about why the other people didn’t call the police or what roles people could have played to stop it rather than to just have it continue.”

She says the victim in this incident could have lost her life, like Virk did, if the violence continued.

“This is not a trivial kind of youth incident. This is assault. This young woman could have been seriously hurt and probably is seriously hurt, emotionally and physically by what happened to her.”

The video of the incident along with surveillance footage of the area will be used as evidence in the case. So far, no charges have been laid.