Muslim woman attacked in Toronto, told to ‘go back to your country’: police
TORONTO — Police are searching for at least two suspects in connection with a hate crime investigation after a Muslim woman was allegedly attacked and robbed while picking up her children from a Toronto school on Monday.
The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. near the Grenoble Public School in the Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East area, police said.
Toronto police said the men approached the woman called her a “terrorist” and told her to “go back to your country,” adding that the men then tore off her hijab, robbed her of her money and cellphone and punched her.
Police said the woman then went to a nearby school asking for help and was transported to hospital. She has since been released.
Supt. Mark Barkley said Monday that the woman was recovering from her injuries and resting as police continue their investigation.
“The full weight of our investigative resources are being put to the test right now,” he said. “We’re investigating, we’re looking at video trying to get the best evidence possible we can to identify who’s responsible for this.”
Barkley said they were trying to determine what the motivation behind the alleged assault and robbery, to determine whether it was an “isolated incident.”
He added that a hate crime investigator would be speaking with the family and police are asking any witnesses to come forward with surveillance video or images of the suspects.
The brother of the woman, who spoke to Global News under condition of anonymity, said his sister was “very traumatized” after the alleged attack.
“She’s very taken aback, she received multiple shots to her stomach, to her face, we’re worried about her internal situation right now,” he said, adding that she was called a “terrorist” and told to “go back.”
“That’s the school I went to, that’s the school she went to. We were born and raised here, our parents came here 40 years ago, 45 years ago, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Muslim woman attacked in Toronto, told to ‘go back to your country’: police | Globalnews.ca
TORONTO — Police are searching for at least two suspects in connection with a hate crime investigation after a Muslim woman was allegedly attacked and robbed while picking up her children from a Toronto school on Monday.
The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. near the Grenoble Public School in the Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East area, police said.
Toronto police said the men approached the woman called her a “terrorist” and told her to “go back to your country,” adding that the men then tore off her hijab, robbed her of her money and cellphone and punched her.
Police said the woman then went to a nearby school asking for help and was transported to hospital. She has since been released.
Supt. Mark Barkley said Monday that the woman was recovering from her injuries and resting as police continue their investigation.
“The full weight of our investigative resources are being put to the test right now,” he said. “We’re investigating, we’re looking at video trying to get the best evidence possible we can to identify who’s responsible for this.”
Barkley said they were trying to determine what the motivation behind the alleged assault and robbery, to determine whether it was an “isolated incident.”
He added that a hate crime investigator would be speaking with the family and police are asking any witnesses to come forward with surveillance video or images of the suspects.
The brother of the woman, who spoke to Global News under condition of anonymity, said his sister was “very traumatized” after the alleged attack.
“She’s very taken aback, she received multiple shots to her stomach, to her face, we’re worried about her internal situation right now,” he said, adding that she was called a “terrorist” and told to “go back.”
“That’s the school I went to, that’s the school she went to. We were born and raised here, our parents came here 40 years ago, 45 years ago, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Muslim woman attacked in Toronto, told to ‘go back to your country’: police | Globalnews.ca
