One of 8 teen girls accused in fatal stabbing of Toronto man to have bail hearing

One of eight teenage girls accused in the swarming attack that killed a Toronto man experiencing homelessness will have a bail hearing on Friday.

Three 13-year-olds, three 14-year-olds and two 16-year-olds face second-degree murder charges in 59-year-old Ken Lee’s death. One girl has been granted bail, while bail hearings have been scheduled for the seven others.

One teen appeared in court on Jan. 20, while two other girls made their court appearance on Jan. 25. Another girl has already been released on bail.

Lee, 59, who had moved into Toronto’s shelter system after falling on hard times, died in mid-December after allegedly being swarmed and stabbed by the group of young girls who had arranged to meet downtown that night.

Community members have said Lee was trying to defend a friend before the attack and that the girls were targeting a bottle of alcohol. None of the teen girls can be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

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Youths aged 12 to 17 are covered under the YCJA. The act states that because they are still maturing, they must be accounted for in the prosecution of crimes and emphasizes rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Lee’s family spoke out against the YCJA last week, saying the criminal justice system protects young suspects but does very little to help the victims or members of the public.

“For serious crimes, these perpetrators should not have any privacy rights or bail,” Lee’s family wrote in the statement.

“The public should be aware of who these individuals are to protect themselves. The perpetrators must be named to bring forth more victims, witnesses and evidence.”

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Lee’s family questioned the intention of the YCJA, noting that if the suspects aren’t identified and later released on bail, it’s a detriment to the community.

“As a parent, my question to the lawmakers who wrote the Youth Criminal Justice Act is, how are you protecting my child if the perpetrator cannot be named and she could be in my child’s school or class?”

Police are also investigating a case of up to 10 teen girls who allegedly assaulted several people at Toronto subway stations hours before Lee was stabbed. They have not confirmed if that group is the same as the one accused in Lee’s death but have said they are looking for alleged assault victims.

Earlier this week, two uniformed TTC employees were swarmed and attacked aboard a bus in Scarborough. Police confirmed the two employees suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators initially said they were looking for as many as 15 teenage boys. Police have since arrested and charged four 13-year-old boys with assault.

With files from Fakiha Baig of The Canadian Press