Five arrested, released on ‘strict conditions’ after B.C. youth assault: RCMP

KELOWNA, B.C. — Police say they have now arrested and subsequently released all five primary aggressors in a violent youth swarming captured on video in Kelowna, B.C.

The Mounties say the attackers were among about 30 youth who were at Gyro Beach on Okanagan Lake during the attack on a girl, who sustained injuries.

It comes a day after police said three of the five attackers had been arrested.

RCMP say officers will monitor the arrested youth “to ensure they are complying with these conditions and attending any future court dates.”

The video showing the assault has been circulating online, and police as well as the victim have asked that people stop sharing it, saying it is traumatic.

The video shows a girl grabbing the victim and shoving her to the ground before another female punches her several times about the head, while others in the crowd kick at the girl then laugh as she lies immobile on the ground.

A statement from RCMP Sgt. Laura Pollock on Wednesday said two youth had called police and attempted to intervene during the assault.

It says those youth “showed compassion and made the right decision” among more than 30 other people who were “standing around, watching and taking video.”

Police have said they’re working with the City of Kelowna, the school district and B.C.’s Ministry of Children and Family Development to build an “early intervention and prevention approach” to identify and connect at-risk youth to support services.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.