In Lethbridge, AB 4 young gays are charged with gang raping another male at a school and using a weapon.
Lethbridge police have charged four members of the Chinook High School football team after a fellow player was allegedly sexually assaulted in a locker room.
Police say on Oct. 3, a 16-year-old boy was forcibly confined and sexually assaulted in a locker room at Chinook High School, after regular school hours. The victim and accused are all members of the football team.
Police obtained and executed a search warrant at the high school the next day and say they seized a weapon.
On Tuesday, police arrested three boys at the high school. The fourth suspect turned himself in.
Two of the suspects are 17 years old and two are 16 years old. They have been charged with sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon and unlawful confinement.
Police have released them from custody with conditions of no contact with the victim and they are banned from Chinook High School.
“As the accused are all are under the age of 18, the Youth Criminal Justice Act prohibits the release of their names.” Lethbridge police said in a statement Wednesday.
“There is no evidence to suggest any ongoing risk to other students in relation to this matter and the school remains open.”
All four boys have a youth court date slated for Oct. 25.
That is from Global News hope the jocko ****s are raised to adult court the victim gets the care he needs. It was after school but were there other students around, coaches/janitors adult volunteers? The football program is suspended until further notice.
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. - Students at Chinook High School in Lethbridge said there was a sombre, uneasy feeling the day after police searched a football locker room for forensic evidence in connection to an alleged sexual assault(opens in a new tab).
In a news release Wednesday, the Lethbridge Police Service said the alleged incident involved a 16-year-old student and players on the football team. The alleged assault occurred in a school locker-room on Oct. 3, after school hours.
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Lethbridge police investigate alleged sexual assault involving high school football players
However, many students are talking about the sexual assault allegations that have hit the school's football team. Some players on the team said they don't know what happened.
"Everybody's just in complete shock and the whole team doesn't know what to do,” said Jwan Ali, a Grade 11 student and member of the team.
Ali said he was in a different dressing room after school on Tuesday when police said a 16-year-old was assaulted in a locker room.
Team members said they feel shocked, hurt and left in the dark.
"Not everybody was there and the whole team is getting blamed for it and I don't think that's right," Ali told CTV News.
Police arrived at the school Wednesday with search warrants and the Forensic Identification Unit.
The Lethbridge Police Service's Forensic Identification Unit responded to Chinook High School to help investigate an alleged sexual assault.
Investigators said those involved knew each other.
"It did actually kind of shock me when something of this measure was just randomly told to everyone and my parents got an email about it and stuff," said Grade 10 student Liam Esselmont.
"I’ve never really heard of something like this happening."
Students said the school acknowledged the incident with them Thursday in a video address.
"This is a horrible thing for anyone to go through," said Christine Cassie, the CEO of the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre.
"I thank the school and the police for doing the investigation, that's fantastic that they're involved."
In a statement released Wednesday(opens in a new tab), the Lethbridge School Division said all football-related activities at Chinook High School have been suspended for the duration of the week to allow for the investigation to continue.
"Chinook High School continues to be committed to ensuring the safety and health of all students are of paramount importance,” the statement said.
Students said they’ve felt a shift in the mood around campus since the allegations were released.
"The mood so far today was been not very great," said Esselmont.
"People are still talking about in the hallway and stuff, like what could possibly have happened and rumours are spreading even though our principal said not to spread rumours."
"People are mostly trying to ignore it but you can tell it's on everyone’s mind," added Bryan Rumsey, a Grade Nine student at Chinook High School.
"Everyone’s thinking about it. Like ‘how is this going to change our school in the future?’"
The Chinook Sexual Assault Centre is reminding students of the supports available to them.
"I think, for the students, it's time to really do some reflection and really look at what systems of supports they have," said Cassie.
"All schools have school councillors that are there that are specialized that understand the different levels of trauma and certainly they are available for students to reach out to."
For more information on programs and supports for those affected by sexual assault and abuse, you can visit the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre’s website(opens in a new tab).
Both the Lethbridge Police Service and Lethbridge School Division will not be releasing any further information until the investigation is complete
That is from CTV Lethbridge.
Update regarding situation at Chinook
Lethbridge School Division is aware of the charges laid today involving four Chinook High School students, in connection with an incident involving a group of players in the football program.
To protect the privacy of those involved, and due to the fact charges have been laid, no further details can be shared regarding the incident.
Our focus continues to be on supporting students and the school community.
Chinook is committed to being a safe place for students and staff members. The Division, along with Chinook, recognizes the gravity of the situation and impact it has had on many in our community.
As a school, Chinook is attending to the situation with care for the safety and well-being of all of those involved, and the greater school community. This includes providing support through Chinook’s wellness team, increased supervision throughout the school, working with the Lethbridge Police Service and consultations with the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre.
As we work through this situation and gain more information, all football-related activities continue to be suspended. A decision on the remainder of the 2023 season will be made soon.
School administration will further communicate with the Chinook school community in upcoming days.
Should anyone need to reach out for additional support, please reach out to the Chinook High School Wellness Team –
403-320-7565 or
www.chs.lethsd.ab.ca/parents/career-services-page, or the school administration.
There are also many community organizations that can assist, including the following:
The Chinook Sexual Assault Centre -
403-694-1094
Lethbridge Family Services –
403-327-5724
AHS Mental Health –
1-877-303-2642 or this this link: AHS
Kids Help Phone –
1-800-668-6868 (text 686868)
We thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
To view the media release from the Lethbridge Police Service regarding this matter, please click the following link: POLICE.