Toronto man arrested after 12-year-old girl attacked on TTC in suspected hate crime

TTC safety town hall held after months of violence Transit advocates and community members gathered in Toronto to voice their safety concerns following a rash of violent incidents on the TTC.

Toronto police have arrested a 32-year-old man after he allegedly assaulted a young girl while uttering racial slurs on a bus earlier this month.

A release issued by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) Tuesday said it received a call reporting the incident just before 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 8.

According to the report, the incident occurred in the area of Danforth Avenue and Main Street in east Toronto.

Investigators allege that the victim, a 12-year-old girl, and the accused were on board a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) bus travelling on line 23 when, unprovoked, the accused began to threaten the child and other passengers.

The suspect then allegedly assaulted the child, while uttering racial slurs, police say.

Before officers could arrive on scene, the suspect exited the bus and fled the scene, the release states.

Shortly after the incident, TPS released several TTC surveillance images of the suspect.

On Feb. 20, TPS officers arrested Toronto resident Matthew Gordon Paul and charged him with one count of threatening bodily harm, one count of assault, and one count of failure to comply with probation.

TPS said, after consultation with the specialized Hate Crime Unit, the incident is being treated as a suspected hate-motivated offence. Ontario’s Attorney General must consent before any hate-crime charges could be laid, as is procedure with all hate propaganda offences. These charges are often laid at a later time, police say.

The charges against Gordon Paul have not been proven in court. He is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 21 at 9:30 a.m.

Police said they believe there may be more victims and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or at www.222tips.com.

The incident comes in the wake of another suspected hate-motivated incident at Bloor-Yonge Station on Jan. 18.

Police have said that the suspect in that incident allegedly struck one person on the head, which resulted in their religious head covering being knocked over and falling to the ground.

With files from CP24's Chris Fox