Watch above: The parents of Rinelle Harper say they would not stay silent about what happened to their daughter and called her daughter a hero. Shirlee Engel reports.
WINNIPEG – The Harper family raised their voices Thursday to call on their community and others to make sure women and girls are safe at home and in Winnipeg.
“I would like to say thank you for your prayers, thoughts, thinking about us,” said Ceasar Harper, Rinelle Harper’s father, as he battled tears to speak at a news conference Thursday. “We are going through a tough time.”
“She’s a fighter. She’s a hero to everybody,” said Julie Harper, Rinelle’s mother. “She wants to go back to Southeast Collegiate (her high school) … this week, she said.”
WATCH: Rinelle Harper is eager to go back to school, her mother says
Rinelle Harper, 16, was attacked twice by two males and left for dead next to the Assiniboine River in downtown Winnipeg on Friday night.
READ MORE: Winnipeg police arrest 2 men for attack on 16-year-old Rinelle Harper
Harper is from Garden Hill First Nation but her family has been living in Winnipeg while she attends high school at Southeast Collegiate in the city. Following the attack that nearly killed her, her name was made public by police in an effort to encourage tips.
The Harper family, led by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Grand Chief David Harper, Red Sucker Lake Chief Gregg Harper and elder Fred Harper, Rinelle’s grandfather, on Thursday called on everyone to work to establish a safe community for women, girls and children.
“We are concerned about the girls and women all over and what they have to go through,” Rinelle’s grandfather said. “We did the right part, we feel, about sharing this information so the people who do the crimes know there is a lot of hurt in the family.”
Gregg Harper said most of the Harpers in northern Manitoba First Nations communities are related and they see the assault on Rinelle as an assault on all of them.
“It is very important that people come forward quickly,” he said about violent crime. “We have to stop this violence against girls and women.”
WATCH: Rinelle Harper’s father breaks down during press conference
The family also revealed more about Rinelle’s condition.
“First time I saw her at the hospital, I didn’t know what was going to happen to her,” her father said. “She looked so bad, beaten, so I was thinking about prayers.”
READ MORE: Harper family thankful teen survived Winnipeg attack
The teen can’t remember what happened to her, her father and grandfather said.
As well as looking forward to returning to school, Rinelle wants to join the military with her big sister, their mom said.
“I hope she goes for it.”
WATCH: “We have to stop this violence against girls and women,” Red Sucker Lake Chief Gregg Harper says
David Harper asked that there be no retaliation for what happened to the teen.
“This is the hour we have to call for the change, the shift. The acts of violence have to stop,” he said.
“This is what Rinelle did: She got back up from the waters, and she got beaten up again and got back up.”
The grand chief made a sweeping call for change, from a request that individuals come forward with information about violence to a plea to new Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman to implement change and a repeated call for a national inquiry into violence against aboriginal women.
“Every one of us, it is our responsibility to make that change. We have to put an end to the violence,” David Harper said. “We call on the justice minister, because the system doesn’t protect our young men and women; it is too weak … We have a new mayor in town, he has to open those doors for us First Nations to go talk to him.”
WATCH: Harper family relieved two accused are off the streets, grandfather says
Rinelle’s family members hope the attention given to her story will precipitate that change.
They assured the media they don’t regret the publication of her name.
“In the coming days, you will be hearing from Rinelle,” David Harper said.
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