‘Smart and curious’ trans child savagely beaten by a gang of teenagers who posted the ‘horrific’ assault to Snapchat
(Anatoliy Cherkasov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)
Police in Saskatchewan, Canada, are investigating after a trans child became the victim of a “horrific” assault by a group of her peers.
The child, from Moose Jaw, was filmed by her attackers and the video was posted on Snapchat.
Moose Jaw Pride executive director Taylor Carlson became aware of the assault after seeing the video circulating on social media.
They told Regina Leader-Post: “I have no doubt that LGBTQ2 people and families living in Moose Jaw, and very likely in other smaller and rural communities in Saskatchewan and beyond who are made aware of this, will be feeling insecure and unsafe in their communities.
“It really hits home for a lot of people.”
Carlson got in touch with the teenager and her family after seeing the video, and said she was attacked by a group of children her age.
They added: “It’s quite devastating. It’s a devastating and horrific thing to have happen to you, and of course also to have happen to the LGBTQ2 community.”
Staff sergeant Randy Jesse of the Moose Jaw Police Service confirmed that police were investigating the assault, and said that everyone involved appeared to be a minor.
He said: “I can confirm that there was an assault involving … a transgender individual. I cannot say at this time in the investigation whether that was a component in the assault.”
The police service also wrote on Twitter that charges were “pending”, and that the girl luckily did not “sustain serious physical injuries”.
Moose Jaw Pride added on Facebook that the trans child in question was “a wonderful, smart, curious and empathetic girl who is deserving of every kindness”, and who “also deserves the full and complete accountability and determined advocacy on her behalf from all responsible adults in her life”.
In an interview with CBC, Carlson called for adults in the community to lead by example in embracing the trans community.
They said: “We need to remember that our kids are listening.
“We cannot drop our kids off at school in the morning or tuck them in at bed at night, when in the background there are two adults shouting at each other over whether or not a human being is deserving of dignity.
“It has real-world consequences.”
