Nanaimo RCMP say a 15-year-old boy was assaulted by a 16-year-old boy, forced to remove his clothes and told to walk home naked.
The incident occurred Friday about 8 p.m. in the area of Long Lake in north Nanaimo.
A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media.
Const. Gary O’Brien called the video, which is about two minutes long, “extremely disturbing.” A number of youth can be heard laughing and jeering at the victim, he said.
The 15-year-old’s parents reported what happened on Saturday.
Officers determined the boy attended a gathering near the lake. During the gathering, the 16-year-old made accusations to the victim and without provocation started kicking and punching him in the head.
The victim’s wallet, cellphone and shoes were thrown in the lake. The 16-year-old then directed him to take off his clothes and walk home.
As the victim was walking, a bystander stepped in and gave him clothes and a ride.
The boy had a number of cuts and lacerations on his upper body and received first aid when he got home.
A suspect was located Saturday after he was involved in an unrelated motor-vehicle incident as a passenger. It is alleged that the suspect got out of the vehicle after the collision and threatened the driver of the other vehicle with a metal baton.
He has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and robbery in relation to the Friday night incident, and is facing charges of uttering threats and possession of a weapon in relation to the Saturday incident.
Despite having the video, police would still like to hear from anyone who saw what took place Friday. Call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
