A Kelowna mother has started a petition to make changes to the British Columbia Criminal Youth Justice Act after a 13-year-old girl was attacked and beaten by multiple teens at Gyro Beach on Friday, Sept. 27.
The petition was started by Jacqueline Best, who also started Justice for Youth Kelowna in the days after the incident. At that time, Best also spoke with Black Press Media.
"I've had enough," Best said to Black Press Media on Oct. 2. "Someone is going to die."
Youth violence has been on the rise in Kelowna over the past year, and Best is leading the charge because she says her daughter was a victim of an attack last year.
Best's daughter confirmed that at least three of the same teens involved in this most recent incident at Gyro Beach also allegedly assaulted her.
In the most recent attack, a group of around 30 youths surrounded a 13-year-old girl and proceeded to kick, punch and push her. The girl did not fight back. Many people recorded video of the assault as well. After a minute, someone tries to stop the attack but as the girl attempts to get up, she gets kicked in the face and gets knocked out. While she is lying unconscious and unresponsive, people in the group pile dirt on the girl's head and proceed to continue to insult her.
Best, who has five children and is a family friend of the young woman who was attacked, said the girl suffered a concussion and multiple injuries.
Five youths involved in the attack were arrested and released with strict conditions by Kelowna RCMP and all have future court dates. Mounties are monitoring the five youths to make sure they comply with the conditions. RCMP are also once again asking the public to stop sharing and circulating the video of the assault.
The petition Best started on Oct. 2 already has more than 1,200 signatures and has a goal of 1,500.
“The recent swarm in Kelowna, B.C., must serve as an eye-opener to lawmakers to initiate immediate changes. We propose key amendments to the 2019 Provincial Criminal Youth Justice Act to effectively curb these issues,” said Best. "We should legislate against social platforms like Snapchat, making it compulsory for them to share crucial information concerning violent or harmful behaviour with parents and the police. This transparency is key in preventing continuing harassment, violence, and hate amongst teens.”
People from Kelowna, Summerland, Surrey, and others from across the province have signed and commented on the petition.
“Violence among youth needs to stop and we need to do something to discourage kids from standing back and filming instead of calling the police or standing up for the one being assaulted," said Kelowna's Tammy Woolridge.
“As a parent and someone who lives in the Okanagan this breaks my heart and more needs to be done to protect these kids," stated Samantha Jackson of Summerland.
Best created the Facebook page in hopes parents and concerned community members could come together to share their stories, support each other and advocate for change.
People who would like to remain publicly anonymous can email Best at Justiceforteenskelowna@gmail.com rather than posting on the Facebook Page.
Best wants to spark a change in the legal system regarding youth violence and cyberbullying. She also hopes to see the creation of an Okanagan-based rehabilitation centre with mental health supports for teenagers and children experiencing behavioural issues. Lastly, she wants to see more accountability from the parents of teens who are bullies and are repeatedly violent.
Anyone who witnessed the attack, and has yet to speak with police, is asked to call Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 and reference file number 2024-57168.
- with files from Jacqueline Gelineau
