WARNING: Some details in this story may be disturbing to readers. Discretion is advised.
More than 100 people braved the rain on Sunday to hold a rally and vehicle convoy in support of a 15-year-old Cloverdale girl who was brutally beaten in an assault filmed by her bullies.
The event was organized by an online men’s mental health group called the B.C. Whiskey Wizards, after they found out the girl’s father was one of their members.
“We were shocked. We were like we have to do everything in our power to get out there and show support for them, so we created a convoy,” Whiskey Wizard, Thomas Smith, told Global News.
“There’s people out there that support her, that don’t see what happened to her as right.”
Group member Mike Briggs, who organized the rally, said he had only expected 20 or 30 people to show up and was overwhelmed by the response.
“I was bullied as a kid too. When I saw the amount of people just standing there filming instead of hitting 911,” he said.
“It’s ridiculous. In this day and age it shouldn’t be happening anymore.”
Group Vice-President Ron Tuck, himself a victim of bullying as a youth, said they were hoping to send one simple message to the victim.
“You’re not alone, you’re not the only one going through this, and there’s people who are going to be there for you,” he said.
According to the victim’s mother, her daughter was lured to Hillcrest Elementary School on May 7, where she expected to meet friends for birthday cake.
Instead, she was greeted by an aggressive crowd, kicked and punched by multiple people, and forced to kiss her bullies’ shoes, her mother said.
An estimated 25 to 50 people, none of whom called police, watched the incident, several taking video which was later posted to the web.
Both the mother and daughter’s identities are protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
On Sunday, the girl’s mother said she was grateful for the support.
“It means a lot. What happened to my daughter was disgusting,” she said. “It’s not just for my daughter, it’s for future children and any children that are going through this.”
Despite the support, she said the problem remains a real one.
The mother told Global News she was approached by another girl at the rally who was the victim of a similar incident, also filmed by bullies.
She said one of her daughter’s bullies also continues to post pictures and video of her assault online.
“How are you not disgusted with your child? If that was my kid she would not have access to a phone, she would not be out running the streets with her friends, she would not be be able to bully her victim online,” she said.
“To the parents of these bullies, you need to be in control of your children, you need to know where your children are and what they’re doing.”
The girl suffered a fractured nose, a concussion, black eyes, bruised ribs, a rolled ankle and cuts and bruises all over her body.
Her mother said she has begun to heal, but remains in pain.
A GoFundMe campaign for the girl has since raised more than $6,000.
Surrey RCMP continue to investigate the assault and have arrested and released one youth — “the primary aggressor” — on an undertaking with a future court date.