A rural community in Canada’s southern Ontario is in shock after police revealed that the brutal assault of an eight-year-old girl, originally thought to be an animal attack, was allegedly carried out by a 17-year-old boy now charged with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon.
The incident took place in Quadeville, a small town of just a few hundred people. The girl was reported missing on June 23 after last being seen around 6 pm near a local grocery store. She was discovered with severe injuries in a wooded area around 12:30 am the following morning and was rushed to a children’s hospital in Ottawa.
Initially, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) told the community to keep their children indoors, warning of a potential animal threat. However, on June 25, authorities said they believed the injuries were from an animal attack but needed further investigation.
Last week, that narrative shifted dramatically. Police arrested a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act, and charged him with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon.
OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson said the nature of the injuries initially led officers to suspect an animal, but investigators had also been exploring other possibilities from the start. “You can’t go into an investigation like this with tunnel vision,” he said, declining to provide specifics due to the ongoing court case.
The suspect and the victim’s families are known to each other, further unsettling the close-knit community. Residents have raised concerns about the police response, including why the search for the missing girl didn’t begin until 9 pm the day she disappeared.
During a town hall on 12 July, acting OPP Chief Superintendent Derek Needham said specialized resources took time to arrive, but one parent responded: “That’s not good enough.”
The local Pentecostal church has launched a fundraiser to support the victim’s family. Pastor Joseph Fiorentino said the young girl is showing signs of recovery, though her healing journey will be long.
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