Alleged hate attacks in Montreal lead to teen’s arrest

Montreal police arrested a teenage boy Thursday in connection with alleged hate crimes that took place in the city’s Outremont borough earlier this year.

The alleged suspect turned himself in and he was released with conditions. Police say he is expected to be in youth court on May 5.

The arrest comes after police turned to the public for help in identifying the teen involved in two violent assaults this past winter. Two members of the Hassidic community were attacked in separate incidents by the same suspect on the night of Jan. 20.

In the first assault, police say a youth yelled and then pushed the victim before throwing him to the ground.

Police say he then fled the scene to join a nearby group of other young people. It occurred around 9:50 p.m. at the corner of Van Horne and Bloomfield avenues.

A short time later at 10:25 p.m., a second member of the Hassidic community was kicked and then fell to the ground near Outremont and Bernard avenues.

The Montreal police department’s hate crimes division is leading the investigation into the attacks.

Before the arrest, the national director of B’nai Brith’s league for human rights said in an interview the assaults are shocking and the perpetrator needs to be arrested.

“This requires prison time. There has got to be a very strong message that you cannot attack people in the street because they are Jewish,” Marvin Rotrand said.

Outremont Mayor Laurent Desbois said violent assaults are something the borough takes seriously, though he does want to reassure the Hassidic community they can feel safe in their neighbourhood.

“Every act is unacceptable,” he said.

Police are asking anyone who is the witness or a victim of a hate crime to contact them.