(Update: Oct. 9, 2024 @ 2:25 pm) - Mayor Tom Dyas has responded to KelownaNow with the statement below regarding a petition and open letter circulating online:
The recent incident involving the assault of a 13-year-old has greatly affected our community. As a father, I can only imagine the pain and distress that the victim and her family are feeling at this time.
I do not condone violence of any kind, and it is important to remember that this is an ongoing investigation that is being handled by the Kelowna RCMP. As soon as I was made aware of the situation, I connected with Senior City Staff and with the RCMP Superintendent to ensure that this would be prioritized and to facilitate a rapid response.
With that in mind, it is crucial that the process be respected and allowed to unfold. My ability to comment on an open investigation is limited; however, I am still in direct contact with the RCMP Superintendent and continue to be made aware of the ongoing investigation.
I have been in contact with the victim’s father at City Hall last week and have reached out to the victim’s mother directly to offer my support in any way I can.
At this point, I have received individual pieces of correspondence from concerned parents, to which I have responded. This is the first I am hearing about an open letter from the Justice for Teens group and my office has not received any communication from them to date.
Council is aware of the broader impacts that bullying and teen violence can bring to the community and is working with senior levels of government to address this with early intervention. Through the Federal Building Safer Communities Fund, the City is working in partnership with the Central Okanagan Public Schools to undertake a youth gang and gun violence program known as Honouring Resiliency in Vulnerable Youth (HRVY).
The community-based initiative for early intervention and crime prevention is committed to creating inclusive, engaging, and impactful programs through wrap-around supports and services.
On top of this, eight of the 30 Actions in the Community Safety Plan are directly tied to supporting children, youth and families. The Plan brings together community organizations and government agencies to coordinate the delivery of programs. City staff also lead the weekly Kelowna Outreach and Support Table (KOaST) which brings front line staff from public safety, health and social services together to rapidly connect to help vulnerable people, including youth.
This incident has brought to light the gaps in the current Criminal code, and Council is in the midst of advocating for changes and reforms – specifically around bail reform for repeat property crime offenders. We realize that there are currently no provisions in the current legislation for cyberbullying and are committed to advocating for those amendments as well. It is important to remember that the Federal government is the body responsible for enacting this kind of change.
The video that was circulating was shocking and unacceptable. It is my understanding that both the victim and RCMP have asked the public to stop circulating the footage and I ask that everyone abide as the video’s recirculation is traumatic to all involved.
There are more than 24,000 students in School District 23 with so much positive experiences to celebrate including over 7,000 youth enrolled in soccer leagues, 1,200 registered for minor league hockey, and annual achievements made by outstanding youth in our city at every year’s Civic and Community Awards. It saddens us all to see this vibrant community overshadowed by tragic incidents like this and we strive, collectively, to ensure that it doesn’t occur again. In reality, we recognize that this is a small group of individuals in our community that is regularly involved with our police and bylaw services.
For this Council, community safety for all of Kelowna’s residents, especially our young ones, remains a top priority.
(Original story: Oct. 9, 2024 @ 10:15 am)
Following a shocking and violent swarming of a Kelowna teen, a petition is calling for amendments to the Youth Justice Act.
The creator of the petition, Jacqueline Best, says that the incident should serve as an “eye-opener” to lawmakers to make immediate changes.
Some specific asks include the establishment of a rehabilitation centre in the Okanagan and increased accountability, such as fines, for parents of repeat offenders.
The rehabilitation centre would hopefully focus on helping youths with mental health struggles, which Best believes is a root cause for most of the problems we are seeing in the community.
“I truly believe it's a legislation and law matter, and we need somewhere for these kids to go to get the help that they need to quit being so violent and give them the proper tools to cope in life.”
The Change.org petition also calls for policy changes from social media companies like Snapchat, forcing them to share “crucial information concerning violent or harmful behaviour with parents and the police.”
More than 1,100 people have added their names so far, and signatures are growing.
The movement is a direct response to the attack on a 13-year-old girl at Kelowna’s Gyro Beach on the night of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. The victim’s father told NowMedia that his daughter was lured to the beach by a friend.
About 30 teens swarmed around the girl and recorded the attack on their smartphones.
Five aggressors from the group were identified by police from the video, which was widely circulated online.
While the majority of the group either participated or stood back and did nothing, the Kelowna RCMP pointed out that two teens opted to do the right thing and made efforts to help the victim.
Kelowna RCMP said on Oct. 3, 2024, all five aggressors were arrested and released on strict conditions, and they will be monitored by police to make sure they comply and attend future court dates.
Best says her family used to live in Kelowna, but recently moved away in part due to the issue of increased violence and safety concerns.
She adds that her daughters were subject to a lot of bullying while living there, and she says one of her children was even jumped by seven other people in West Kelowna on one occasion.
When she saw the footage of the recent swarming, she decided she had to do more.
“Finally, I was just like, you know what, somebody's going to stand up for these kids and protect them,” Best told NowMedia. “And then that's why I started the group.”
In addition to the petition, Best created a group called Justice for Teens, which is advocating for change across the province and the country.
Best says they’ve been contacting politicians and leaders to address the problems with youth violence and the catch and release system.
She adds that they have contacted the mayor’s office, but their message has not yet been acknowledged. KelownaNow has reach out to the City of Kelowna for comment.
“Just turning a blind eye to all this violence is absolutely unacceptable, and I don't even care if it's election time or not.”
“Somebody's gonna die, you know?” she says. “Why does it have to get to that point?”
The group has also written to David Eby, Dan Albas, Pierre Poilievre and many other politicians with an open letter.
In the letter to Dan Albas and other MPs, the group asks for their support and help in getting the petition to the House of Commons for immediate action.
Best says they have confirmed a submit date with the BC Legislature ton Nov. 5, 2024, following the provincial election.