Ottawa Police have charged four teenagers in the brutal beating of a 15-year-old boy near St. Peter’s High School in Orléans earlier this month.
A graphic video of the Nov. 8 attack circulated online, showing several teens punching the student in the face and kicking him in the head.
Patrick Mbaya, 18, and Shirlvin Desir, 18, have both been charged with aggravated assault, police said Wednesday. Two 17-year-old boys, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, have also been charged with aggravated assault.
Ottawa Police Constable Amy Gagnon says the charges are very serious.
"Whenever you hurt somebody it is actually considered an assault," said Gagnon.
"It does have serious consequences."
Matthew Wall has a daughter attending St. Peter's High School. Wall says he was shocked this happened so close to home.
"I was horrified, things like that going on in our school," said Wall.
"It's uncovering itself a little bit because things like this are getting attention."
Wall says news of the charges sends an important message to students.
"There's going to be consequences for their actions and the decisions they make today is going to affect their future."
"The Ottawa Police consider all acts of violence to be serious matters," said Acting Staff Sgt. Steve Boucher said in a news release.
"We don't consider the online posting of these fights and assaults to be appropriate. We encourage anyone witnessing such events to phone police immediately."
The 15-year-old victim was sent to hospital after the attack, and was later released with a concussion, according to parents from the school.
The teens are all due in court in January.
