ST. JOHN'S, N.L. —
By Jeff Pelletier
Special to The Telegram
The RNC says they’re aware of videos that surfaced on Facebook Sunday night of an alleged assault involving teenagers outside the Avalon Mall.
Facebook user Krista Leigh Strickland says she feels guilty that she couldn’t protect her daughter, who is seen being ganged up on by a group of girls, pushed against a wall and hit in the face and head. Also in the video, a boy is repeatedly heard yelling “WorldStar,” which is a reference to a popular website where people share videos of fights and other violent altercations. Strickland shared three videos in total, all of which have been seen over 100,000 times and shared by nearly 7,000 people.
In one video, a girl — who is presumably Strickland’s daughter — repeatedly says “I’m sorry” as she’s surrounded by the group of girls. One girl responds, saying, “You’re not sorry, you’re talking shit,” and proceeds to punch her along with some of the other girls.
In a second video, which is covered by a graphic content warning, a girl says “On three, we’re all going up to her.” After counting down, some of the girls swarm Strickland’s daughter and push her into the wall.
In the third video, Strickland’s daughter is in tears, as she’s once again shoved against the wall and punched. A group of boys who are not seen on camera are heard cheering them on. One of them says “Hit her harder” while another says, “Kick her in the face.” Once again, one of the boys yells “WorldStar” multiple times.
RNC media relations officer Const. Colin Shaw says that the police were made aware of the videos Sunday night and that the matter is under investigation. No charges have been laid. Because the suspects are likely under the age of 18, their names will not be published as they are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. For the same reason, The Telegram will not share the videos posted to Strickland's Facebook timeline.
The Telegram has contacted Strickland for comment. In a series of public Facebook posts, she says she feels helpless, sad and upset.
“I can’t stop crying I can’t sleep. My mind won’t shut off I just keep picturing my daughter begging to be left alone,” she said in a post.
The Avalon Mall's parent company has issued a statement on the matter, confirming that the incident took place this past Friday.
"This is a very upsetting incident, and we have been working with the RNC to support their investigation," said Elizabeth Engram, the public relations manager at Crombie REIT. She added that she could not comment further.
This story will be updated as more information is made available.
