The family of an 11-year-old girl who falsely claimed that her hijab was cut by an attacker in an incident last week that captured national attention has expressed their “sincere apologies to every Canadian.”
The family said that at that time, they “assumed it to be true just like everyone else.”
The apology comes two days after the conclusion of the police investigation into the allegations, finding that the events “did not happen.”
In a statement released on Monday, Toronto police, who had been investigating the alleged incident involving the Grade 6 student at Pauline Johnson Junior Public School as a hate crime, said the investigation is now concluded.
The incident prompted a widespread backlash on social media condemning the false story.The Police was investigating it as a Hate Crime incident.
The family said they were “deeply sorry for the pain and anger caused in the past several days.”
The family expressed gratitude toward Pauline Johnson Junior Public School which, they said, “reacted with compassion and support.”
They were called to the school near Birchmount Rd. and Sheppard Ave. E. on Friday morning with the news of an alleged assault against their daughter and the family spoke to the media a few hours later at the school’s library.
