Ashcroft RCMP are appealing for witnesses after a four-year-old boy was assaulted during a soccer tournament that took place in Ashcroft over the weekend of June 21.
“A four-year-old boy sustained injuries to his leg as the result of an altercation with up to four other minors,” says Ashcroft RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Kathleen Fitzgerald.
“We’re looking to find out who the minors are so that we can confirm their ages.”
Fitzgerald says that while the incident does constitute an assault, how it is treated will depend on the age of the minors involved.
“Depending on their ages, it might not result in charges being laid under the Criminal Code.”
The four-year-old was transported to Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops by his parent, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. He is now recovering.
Fitzgerald says that the boy was not from Ashcroft, and that the alleged assailants also do not appear to be from the community. An adult who witnessed the assault intervened, telling the minors to stop, at which point they scattered.
It is not known at this time if the alleged assailants were participating in the soccer tournament, or if they were the siblings or friends of some of the players.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or know the identities of the minors involved, to contact Ashcroft RCMP at (250) 453-2216. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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