A 16-year old Greater Napanee youth has been charged with one count of assault after Lennox & Addington County OPP launched an investigation into an incident caught on a cellphone camera that has since gone viral.
The victim’s family says the footage depicts unacceptable bullying.
“When the video came out, it just tore the insides out of me,” said the victim’s mother, who cannot be identified due to the investigation.
In the video, a male student calls out to another before running at him and pulling him to the ground in the hallway of Napanee District Secondary School.
The victim, who also can’t be identified because of his age, is in a special needs class at N.D.S.S. and says he was hurt and humiliated by the incident.
“I felt sad and stuff and embarrassed and stuff,” the student told Global News.
A statement from the Lennox and Addington County OPP said, “The Lennox & Addington County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was made aware of the incident and has conducted an investigation into the incident.
“Based on the results of that investigation, police have charged a 16 year-old Greater Napanee youth with one count of assault contrary to the Criminal Code of Canada,” the statement continued. “The social media posts have generated a number of responses. Some of those responses are threatening in nature or suggest/promote a course of action by way of retribution against the alleged perpetrator.
“It is very important that everyone remain cognizant that their online activity may subject them to criminal liability in the real world. ”
Police went on to say that social media posts often lack context and relevant information.
“The students involved are uninjured, and safe, and we are working with everyone involved to ensure an incident like this does not happen again,” school board officials said in a statement.
It’s a sentiment shared by the victim and his family, who say there is no room in schools for bullying.
“We want to know and make sure that this doesn’t happen again to anybody else,” said the victim’s mother.
Police say the charged youth was released from police custody and will appear in the Ontario Court of Justice, Youth Court, in Greater Napanee on Dec. 9, 2019.