Warning: This story contains graphic details and images.
A woman who allegedly threw boiling water on a 10-year-old boy on Montreal’s south shore is expected to be formerly charged Friday afternoon.
Quebec’s Crown prosecutor office confirmed the accused is facing a charge of aggravated assault in connection with the reported attack from last week.
The boy was injured after scalding hot water was thrown on him from a neighbour’s balcony in Longueuil, Que., on Oct. 2. He was taken to hospital where he was treated for second-degree burns to his face and upper body.
A woman was questioned and arrested the same day, but Longueuil police said she was released on a promise to appear in court and with some conditions to abide by. Her court date was initially set for late January 2025.
Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier said Thursday that members of the public were urging her to reverse the decision to release the woman, but she said it would be illegal for her to intervene in the case.
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Global News is not revealing the child’s identity to respect his privacy, but he said in an interview earlier this week that he was “trembling” when the water was poured on him.
The boy said he had walked through the lawn on his way home from school with friends. They were unharmed, and the child alleged he was the only one who was targeted with scalding liquid.
Pierre Senin Tewa, the boy’s father, told Global News that what happened was “inexcusable” and said the woman needs to answer for her actions. His son has knocked on the neighbour’s door and run away, but his father said he was shocked anyone would throw boiling water on a child.
“He was really traumatized,” Senin Tewa said an interview Wednesday.
The Crown prosecutor’s office confirmed the alleged suspect is expected to appear in court Friday afternoon.
— with files from Global’s Tim Sargeant and The Canadian Press
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