For the second time in a week, a B.C. family is calling for proper justice against the students who were allegedly filmed assaulting their teenage son at school.
Nicole Townsend said her 15-year-old boy was caught on video that circulated online, showing him being assaulted by another student as others watched.
The video taken Thursday shows a group of teens walking down the sidewalk. A piece of pizza is slapped out of the victim’s hand before he’s pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly by another teen, who also kicks the boy while he’s on the ground.
WATCH: (Aired June 7) Charges considered for Surrey high school assault
Townsend said Saturday she didn’t hear about the assault from staff at Mission Secondary until more than four hours after the alleged assault, which was allegedly over a vape pen.
“When I got home, I didn’t know any of this had happened,” she said. “I didn’t get contacted until 4:20 in the afternoon by the vice-principal wanting to check on my son. I said, ‘For what?'”
By that point, Townsend’s son had left home for his grandmother’s house, which is where Townsend rushed to while still on the phone with the vice-principal.
“When I saw all the injuries on his body, I absolutely lost it and took him to the RCMP and the hospital.”
A police officer took a statement from Townsend and her son at the hospital, but Townsend says that’s the last she’s heard from police.
WATCH: (Aired Jan. 10) Teen hospitalized in Surrey shooting
The mother said she met with the principal and the vice principal the next morning, who assured her the students involved would be disciplined, but wouldn’t say how.
She added the principal told her the assault was reported to staff at 12:45 p.m. The principal attempted to locate the teen, but he had stepped out to use the washroom. No other attempt was made to find him, according to Townsend.
“So my son sat in school for three hours with a head injury,” Townsend said, adding her son now has a concussion.
“I’m very angry. The system failed me and my son. This should have been a priority.”
In a statement, Mission Public Schools said it’s aware of the incident and is taking “appropriate action against some students,” but won’t share that information publicly.
The school district said RCMP have been in contact with school officials.
Global News has reached out to Mission RCMP for comment.
WATCH: (Aired Oct. 25, 2018) Two teens hospitalized after stabbing in Surrey strip mall parking lot
The assault came three days after video was released of another alleged assault of a student at the hands of his peers, this time in the woods near Fraser Heights Secondary in Surrey.
At least one 15-year-old student in that case was arrested and is awaiting criminal charges, Surrey RCMP said Friday.
It marked a shift from an earlier announcement that “alternative measures” were being sought that would avoid charges, including restorative justice.
That victim’s father, who cannot be named now that a youth has been arrested, said Friday he felt RCMP investigators misled his family on whether restorative justice would replace criminal charges.
Townsend said she has yet to hear from anyone else since Friday morning about the assault or the investigation into the students involved.
“I’m concerned about what’s going to happen,” she said. “Are these kids going to get away with it? Are charges going to be pressed?
“I’m not sure what happens next. I just want to make sure justice is served.”
Comments