Alleged assault investigated

Editor’s note: The following story has some references that may upset some readers. Names have been changed to protect identities.

Parents spend considerable time talking to their children about the dangers of getting involved with strangers.

Very rarely do they warn their kids about friends.

A Vernon family is reeling over what they say is the vicious sexual assault of their nine-year-old daughter by two girls, aged nine and 11.

The girl, Tammy, was playing with a friend, Vicky, at a Vernon home on a July afternoon. As they were playing outside, two girls – believed by the victim’s family to be biological sisters – invited them over to their house to play.

“They invited them across the fence to come over, they must have told them they had something great to see or do,” said Tammy’s grandmother. “They trusted them and went over.”

Vicky felt an obligation to go and tell her mom where she and Tammy had gone, so she left to go and tell her.

That, according to Tammy’s family, is when the attack happened. Tammy was coloured head-to-toe in felt pen marker, had glue poured in her hair and eyebrows and was sexually assaulted by her assailants.

“As soon as Vicky went out, they attacked Tammy,” said the grandmother. “I’m not sure how long she was gone, maybe 10, 15 minutes. Tammy fought. She crawled under a table, hid behind some furniture. Her arms were so sore from being pinned down she thought they were broken.

“When Vicky came back, she was yelling and screaming at the other girls, saying, ‘What are you doing? Let her go.’ They turned their attention to Vicky and that’s when Tammy escaped.”

According to the grandmother, Tammy ran from the home, clad only in her undergarments. She was in shock, running down a Vernon street that she didn’t recognize. Fortunately for her, a woman recognized her from the school she attends, grabbed her, took her to safety and called her mom.

Tammy’s mom got a phone call from the woman at 4:24 in the afternoon, almost an hour after the two girls had phoned to say Tammy was at their home, playing.

“I told them Tammy needed to call me in an hour to check in,” said Tammy’s mom. “I got a phone call at 4:24 from the lady saying she’d found Tammy on the street in her panties, crying.”

Tammy, only four-foot-nine and just 49 pounds, has physical and emotional injuries from her attack. Her family says she can’t sleep and needs medication for sleeping, and to be calmed down during the days.

She awakes with screaming nightmares in the night. She can’t eat. She’s still waiting to see a gynecologist for an exam as she’s hurting badly inside.

“This has been a terrible ordeal for us,” said Tammy’s mom, who has been suffering from headaches since the attack. “There’s a lot of emotional scars, and there’s still a lot of aftermath for us.”

Tammy’s grandmother had to go see her doctor and be placed on an IV, the incident leaving her stomach so very upset.

Both the mom and grandmother say the assailants were alone in the house. There was no adult supervision. It’s believed the two girls may now be with their father in another community.

Vernon RCMP confirmed the attack and are actively investigating the assault. However, the two suspects can’t be charged with any crime because of their ages.

“It’ll be a matter strictly between the ministry (Children and Family Development) and the families,” said Vernon RCMP Insp. Steve McVarnock.

“We’ll do our due diligence in terms of the investigation. To be charged with a crime, a person must be 12 years of age. If they’re under 12, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll do our investigation and allow the ministry and the families to work towards their own solution, and what parameters are available to them.”

Kelly Gleeson is a spokesman for the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

While he can’t comment on any specific case, Gleeson said in a situation like this, a ministry social worker would go and assess if there are child protection concerns, and investigate as required.

“We’d be working in co-operation with the police to ensure the childrens’ safety is taken care of, that’s our number one priority,” said Gleeson.

“We would also work with the family to provide whatever support services are appropriate, provided by either the ministry or community partners.”