A 14-year-old boy has been charged after the Tamil Genocide Memorial at Brampton’s Chinguacousy Park was recently vandalized with derogatory spray-painted messages.
Peel Regional Police said they were called to that area on March 20 after receiving reports that the memorial had been defaced.
“Upon arrival, officers confirmed the vandalism and immediately assigned the investigation to the Hate Crime Unit,” police said in a news release.
After a thorough investigation, a teenage boy from Brampton was arrested and charged on March 31 with two counts of mischief over $5,000.
The accused, who cannot be identified under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is set to appear in court at a later date.
“Peel Regional Police will not tolerate vandalism — especially hate-motivated crimes of spaces that are meaningful to our communities. People across the region have the right to feel safe in public spaces,“ Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a release.
“We thank our Hate Crime Unit for acting swiftly to locate and hold those responsible accountable.”
The force recently launched a centralized Hate Crime Unit, which is aimed at enhancing its response to hate-motivated crimes and incidents as well as culturally sensitive incidents.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Hate Crime Unit at 905-453-2121, ext. 6098, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
