Bail has been rejected for two of the eight adolescent girls charged with second-degree murder in the killing of a homeless man in Toronto. On December 18, a group of nine children aged between 13 and 16 are accused of swarming and stabbing Kenneth Lee, 59, in the downtown area.
The homeless guy who was slain by a gang of young females in a “swarming” in the downtown core in the middle of December has been identified by Toronto police. The attack was reported near York Street and University Avenue. According to the police, they claim that eight young girls—three aged 13, three aged 14, and two aged 16—attacked and stabbed the victim.
Highlights
Lee later passed away at a hospital. He had moved from Hong Kong and was attempting to find lodgings. There have been six bail hearings for the girls thus far. Four of them have already been let go. After Justice Maria Sirivar delayed her judgment about the girls’ release following their bail hearings last month, two teenagers were summoned back to court on Tuesday.
Seven of the co-accused showed up in front of the judge during a quick online court appearance on Thursday to set a date for a bail hearing. A new date for the hearing was scheduled, though, as some of the teenagers are still in the process of hiring an attorney.
The final two bail hearings are scheduled for this coming Thursday and Friday. The Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits disclosing any of the kids’ names. Any evidence discussed in court during these sessions is subject to a pre-trial publication prohibition.
Both have been transferred from a closed prison to an open facility, although they will both remain in detention until their trial. Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, their identities cannot be made public because they are minors.
1 of the 8 accused was released on Bail, rest 7 of them remain under the Police Custody
In the recent development of the case, one of them has been granted bail by the court. On Wednesday, one of the girls had her hearing. After her co-court accused’s appearance, she made a separate, in-person appearance and was given bail. The young woman, who was handcuffed and clad in a black sweatshirt and a face mask, was brought into the courtroom.
As Judge Maria Sirivar read the terms of her bail, she looked unmoved. She is neither permitted to use the internet for anything other than online schooling nor use a mobile phone or leave the province. She is also probated from communicating with the co-accused and can not step outside without a surety.
She is allowed to attend her school but cannot leave the school building or can not possess any weapons or keep her passport. Additionally, $9,500 was the amount of her bail, with two sureties.
Police officer Terry Browne described the alleged incident as “swarming-type conduct” at a press conference last week, but he refused to refer to the group as a “gang.” He also described that the females are from various sections of the city and that they met online.
He said that it is unclear how long they had been friends. Furthermore, the females allegedly got into another argument before the homicide. Browne pleaded with anybody who saw them in the vicinity of York Street and University Avenue on December 17 after 10 p.m. to come forward.
Toronto’s Homeless Community Expresses Safety concerns after the Attack
After the police identified and revealed the identity of a 59-year-old man who was attacked by teenagers. The homeless community has expressed major safety concerns over the security of poor people sleeping and living on the streets.
A lot of people who knew him stepped forward and described him as a noble and quiet man. One of his friends said “Those who knew Lee said he was a quiet man who had been defending a friend when the group of teens allegedly attacked. Nobody was surprised that he would stick up for somebody like that.”
Diana Chan McNally who is a case manager at a not-for-profit organization for homeless people said “They’re nervous about being out in tents, being on the street and violence happening. It’s getting worse and worse every day out here. There are people out there that are afraid.”
She concluded by saying “I get people coming in with all kinds of injuries from being beaten up by complete strangers. There’s just so much hatred and dehumanization of people who are unhoused, “ referring to Lee’s death, she said, “it is the most extreme example of that.”
One of Lee’s former friends who also organized his funeral said That could be me, most unhoused people will tell you personal stories of being chased by people who are looking to beat them up. We all know someone who died, we all know someone who was attacked.
This isn’t the first time that the country’s laws and rules have failed to protect the homeless and poor people living on the streets and in tents. Many similar instances have been reported to the police prior to this, but this stands to be the most gruesome case of homicide in Toronto.
