Warning: This story contains graphic details and images.
A 10-year-old boy who lives on Montreal’s south shore is recovering after he was badly burned after boiling water was thrown on him from a neighbour’s balcony.
The side of the fourth grader’s face and his body remain scorched from the incident where a woman is accused of attacking him last week. Global News is not revealing the child’s identity to respect his privacy.
“I was trembling,” the boy said in an interview inside his home in Longueuil, Que., on Wednesday. “It really hurt. It was burning.”
The boy’s father was working at home when his son rushed inside on Oct. 2, yelling “Papa! Papa!” The father turned and saw scalding burns across his child’s body.
The boy had walked through the lawn on his way home from school with friends. They were unharmed, and the child alleged he was the only one who was targeted with scalding water.
Sometimes the boy will knock on the woman’s door and run away, but his father was shocked anyone would throw boiling water on a child.
“It’s abominable. It’s inhumane,” the dad said, adding he had never met the neighbour.
The boy was taken to hospital, where he was treated for painful second-degree burns. The father said luckily the hot water didn’t land on his son’s eyes.
Longueuil police took statements from the boy and his family after they called 911. A woman in her 40s was questioned and arrested the same day.
Police spokesperson Mélanie Mercille said the woman could face charges of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.
The suspect was released on a promise to appear in court and with some conditions to respect. Mercille said the woman doesn’t have a criminal record and police are not aware of any previous threats toward children.
“The investigation is still going on to establish all the circumstances of the event,” Mercille said.
When reached for details about the charges and a court appearance, Quebec’s Crown prosecutor’s office told Global News it didn’t have any public information to share.
The suspect’s release came as a shock to the family. The boy’s father said the person who attacked his son needs to answer for her actions, describing it as “inexcusable.”
“I think it’s immoral and until she’s punished, it’s not just,” the father said.
In the meantime, the child is recovering from his burns. His classmates and teachers made him a large drawing board filled with hearts and notes of encouragement.
The parents have tried to reassure their son after the attack and he hasn’t been able to return to school yet. They have a medical appointment this week to see if his wounds are healing properly.
“He was really traumatized,” the father said.
Global News knocked on the suspect’s door, but she declined to comment. She is expected to appear in court in January 2025.