three charged in hate crime assault

Some news out of Canada... Three people, including a 17-year-old girl, are charged in a violent hate crime assault on an Asian man in Ontario. The guy was walking home when he was chased down by the assailants. They started making racial comments, telling him to "get out of the country," then punched him in the head and face: Police call attack hate crime.

The group had apparently just been ejected from a bar where they had been drinking. I guess they started to take out their racist hate on the nearest person of color. Thankfully, there was a passerby who tried to intervene, the police arrived promptly, and the three attackers were arrested. The victim had a bloodied face but wasn't seriously injured.

Under provisions in the Criminal Code, a person convicted of a crime in which there is "evidence that the offence was motivated by bias, prejudice or hate based on race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, or any other similar factor" could face a stiffer penalty than just a regular old assault.

Aaron Richards, 19, is charged with assault and breach of recognizance. Amanda Garlick, 20, is charged with assault and two counts of breach of probation. The 17-year-old girl is charged with assault and two counts of breach of probation. Just another Monday night in Kingston, right? Have a few drinks, get thrown out of a bar, beat an Asian man. That's racist!