Pre-teen girls terrorize family, burn man with cigarette

A group of pre-teen girls terrorized a family and burned another man with a cigarette in a pair of racially-charged attacks over the weekend in Mission.

Mission RCMP got a call about a group of drunk girls in an altercation with a family in the 7600 block of Eider Street around 9 p.m. Friday, said RCMP Insp. Dave Walsh.

Officers attended the area and located an adult man of South Asian descent who said a group of girls swarmed and accosted him, burning the back of his head with a cigarette.

Police found and arrested two of the girls and took them home to their parents.

It turned out it was the second such attack that night.

Officers returned to the detachment to work on the file, and realized the name of the victim they had talked with didn't match that of the original complainant.

It became clear two attacks occurred in the same neighbourhood close to the same time, said Walsh.

A couple and their three young children were out for a walk when a group of girls aged 12 and 13 years old confronted them and blocked their path.

The parents sent the kids home, and a scuffle ensued with at least one of the girls involved hitting the husband, who is also of South Asian descent, in the head.

Walsh said it was always the RCMP's intention to deal with the incident.

By the time they had tracked down a new number and address for the original victims', and returned from another emergency call, it was past 2 a.m., he said.

The members decided it was best to talk to the couple the next evening when they came back on shift at 6 p.m.

"They figured the couple would probably just be getting to sleep after this upsetting event," said Walsh

"That (following) night, the intention was to get in contact with [the victims] and that's what happened."

The hate crime unit is involved in the investigation because of racial slurs made during the attacks, he said.

The two girls arrested are facing liquor charges, and it will be up to Crown to determine what other charges may follow.

The girls could be subject to a range of outcomes such as community service, probation or participation in a restorative justice process.

The swarming incidents were the result of drunk underage females looking for trouble, said Walsh.

The fact the attacks appear to be racially motivated "speaks to very poor judgment on the part of those girls," he said.

Police are concerned when kids that young are roaming around, he said.

"I like to think parents have a better idea of where their 12-year-old is on a Friday night," he said.

"Parents can trust their kids, but it might be naive not to confirm where their kids say they're going to be."

"Even the best kids may try to trick their parents."