Quadeville assault: Everything police have mentioned to date, and what occurs now – National | USAEMALL.com

The eastern Ontario community of Quadeville is reeling after Ontario Provincial Police revealed they have charged a 17-year-old boy with the “horrific” attempted murder and sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl that police initially believed was an animal attack.

The news comes weeks after police said they suspected the girl’s injuries came from an animal and warned families to keep children indoors and under close supervision.

Here’s what the police have said about the investigation since the initial attack.

On June 24, Ontario Provincial Police warned residents in Quadeville to “keep children indoors or under close supervision” after a child was found with serious injuries from a suspected animal attack.

On June 24 at 12:25 a.m. local time, Ontario Provincial Police said on the social media platform X that they had found a missing child last seen in Quadeville, but did not provide additional information.

In a statement at 11:11 a.m. on June 25, the OPP said: “On Tuesday, June 24th, at approximately 12:30 a.m., officers with the Upper Ottawa Valley (UOV) Detachment responded to reports that a child had been found at a location along Quadeville Road, suffering from serious injuries. The child was transported to hospital and later to a regional trauma centre and is recovering from the injuries.”

In that same statement, OPP said that “while investigators suspect this to have been an animal attack, further testing and analysis is required.”

“As a precaution, parents in the Quadeville area should continue to keep their small children indoors or under close supervision,” the June 25 statement said.

OPP have since clarified that timeline, saying that officers responded to a “report of a missing child in Quadeville” shortly after 9 p.m. on June 23.

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That clarification added that at 12:30 a.m. on June 24, police and their canine unit found the child with what police described as “life-threatening injuries.”

On July 4, police asked for the public’s help in identifying a man in his 60s.

“As part of the investigation, police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a potential witness who was in the Quadeville area prior to the incident. This individual is not a subject of the investigation but may have information that could assist the case,” the OPP said in a statement at that time.

Police described the man as being in his 60s and having grey and white hair with possible facial hair.

The man was described as wearing a black leather jacket with a motorcycle helmet and owning a motorcycle.

Police said the witness was “possibly from the United States” and might be able to help with the investigation.

On Wednesday, OPP announced they had charged a 17-year-old boy in the case.

Police say the 17-year-old suspect, who cannot be legally identified because he is a minor, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with attempted murder as well as sexual assault with a weapon of a person under 16 years old.

He remains in custody pending a court appearance.

In an interview with Global News on Thursday, OPP officer Bill Dickson shared more insight into the case.

“Throughout the initial stages of the investigation, we really did suspect that this was an animal attack based on the horrific injuries and wounds that this eight-year-old had suffered,” he said.

“But our investigators couldn’t tunnel vision on that, so they started looking at all the aspects because that’s what you do have to do in a case like this.”

OPP had said in their statement announcing the charges that, “During the investigation, the cause of the victim’s injuries was unclear. While early evidence suggested a possible animal attack, investigators did not rule out human involvement.”

Police engaged multiple pathology experts to investigate further.

“While the incident is still under investigation, recent testing of samples taken from the victim’s wounds has now revealed no traces of animal DNA,” the statement said.

Dickson told Global News that while the young survivor has been in the hospital, multiple tests have been carried out.

“There was the DNA testing, looking to see if we could find animal DNA and the injuries. And of course, other types of tests are being done at the hospital. As a result of some of the testing that had gone on and some of the information that came to light during the investigation, there were grounds there for the sexual assault with a weapon involving a young person,” he said.

Dickson said the eight-year-old is under medical supervision at the hospital and is recovering from her injuries.

“We are organizing a town hall meeting for Saturday in Quadeville,” Dickson said.

Police are asking anyone with any relevant information or doorbell or surveillance video that could help investigators to contact the Upper Ottawa Valley detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police at 1-888-310-1122.

Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers online or at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), and may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.

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