Teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in fatal swarming sentenced to probation

A teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto has been sentenced to 15 months of probation, taking into account time she has already spent in custody and illegal strip searches conducted after her arrest. Kenneth Lee is shown in a Toronto Police Service handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Toronto Police Service **MANDATORY CREDIT**

TORONTO — A teen girl who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in a deadly group attack on a homeless man in Toronto has been sentenced to 15 months of probation, with the judge taking into account time she has already spent in custody and the “unlawful” strip searches she underwent.

The girl entered a surprise plea in February as she and another teen were being tried for second-degree murder in the death of 59-year-old Kenneth Lee.

The teen was 16 at the time of the incident, which took place in a downtown Toronto parkette in December 2022 and allegedly involved eight girls.

The fatal swarming was captured on security video, and the footage served as a central piece of evidence at trial.

The judge sentenced the girl today after the Crown and defence jointly agreed on the sentence during submissions earlier this month, acknowledging the 288 days the girl had already spent in custody and six strip searches she was forced to undergo.

Police had arrested eight girls between the ages of 13 and 16 in the case and charged them with second-degree murder, but seven of them have since pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Five have pleaded guilty to manslaughter, one to assault and one to assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.

One girl is awaiting a verdict later this month after concluding a judge-alone trial. She tried to plead guilty to manslaughter but her plea was rejected by the Crown.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.