‘Justice for Rylin’: Hundreds rally around Red Deer teen after assault

Citizens showed up wearing blue, which is Rylin’s favourite colour; and donned blue ribbons, calling for justice for the teenager.

Many were holding signs with phrases such as ‘Justice for Rylin,’ ‘Protect Our Kids,’ and ‘Our Schools Need to be Safer.’

At the same time, those driving by honked their horns in support, which was met with loud cheers.

(Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Ian Gustafson)

Brinston remarked that the support reminded her she’s not alone.

“[The last few days] have been really stressful and like not everything’s right anymore. But we’re managing,” she said.

“I’ve seen a lot of things on Facebook, and then all the messages; our phones have been going off for so long now.”

Brinston was the victim of an alleged assault on May 11 in Lancaster Meadows.

That day, police were notified that a female youth had been assaulted at a field between the Collicutt Centre and Hunting Hills High School.

Just two days later, police arrested two 14-year-old female youths, both residents of Red Deer. One was charged with Assault Causing Bodily Harm and Assault by Choking. The second youth was charged with Assault Causing Bodily Harm.

As youths, they cannot be named, as per Alberta’s Youth Criminal Justice Act. They are each to appear in court on June 25.

In a release earlier this week, RCMP noted they continue to investigate and thanked the witnesses who have come forward to assist.

The incident was caught on camera, which has been shared across multiple social media outlets, sparking discussion across the community about the incident and the topic of violence in general.

(Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Ian Gustafson)

Red Deer Mayor Cindy Jefferies addressed the incident in a Facebook post on Thursday.

She said violence and assault are never an appropriate action and should never be a response in conflict, whether it be in schools, homes, businesses, the community, or society.

“As a community, we feel the weight of this horrific assault of a young woman in our city. There are so many emotions and so many questions,” she wrote.

“My heart goes out to the parents, loved ones, and friends of this young woman. As a parent, I can only imagine how traumatic and heartbreaking this has been for all of you. To the families of the youth who were involved in this assault, I have no doubt that this is difficult for you, too. None of us ever wants our children to be involved in anything like this.”

As mayor, and as a Red Deerian, a parent, and a grandparent, Jefferies added that she is concerned, as are her colleagues on city council.

“We have been in touch with school district representatives and have had early conversations with city staff. We are committed to working with community to prevent this from happening again. We have a meeting Friday morning with our MLAs – I have added this to our agenda.”

You can read Jefferies’ full statement here.

When asked what her message would be to those who think they can solve problems with violence, Brinston said it’s important to take a minute and breathe.

Rempel added that violence should never be the answer and that parents should speak to their children more about bullying and how to handle emotions, so things like what happened to her daughter don’t happen.

“It’s pretty upsetting with the amount of 40-some kids that were there. Not one person said anything. I feel like even if a couple of people stepped up, maybe she would have stopped,” she said.

Rempel explained that she was born and raised in Red Deer and that incidents of this severity between youths weren’t common when she was a teenager.

“We had fights, but the severity of this is all new to me. I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Rempel said.

Rylin sustained a concussion, along with internal eye bleeding, bruising and potentially some permanent eye damage.

“From the moment I saw her on the ground, to the hospital visit, to the eye doctor specialist this morning, the whole experience has been very traumatic,” Rempel said. “It’s been hard on me. I’ve been trying to stay strong for my daughter, but it’s mentally exhausting.”

A GoFundMe was also set up for the family, which started with a modest goal, but has since reached over $21,000 and nearly 400 donations. The goal has been updated to $28,000.

Stephanie said the fact that so many people have donated their money is amazing.

“I never thought that we would have this many people supporting us. We are extremely grateful for all of the love and support we’ve been receiving. It really means a lot,” she added.

Rylin won’t be returning to school this year and will be finishing at home through online learning. Stephanie added that they’ll probably do the same in the fall.

by Ian Gustafson

‘Justice for Rylin’: Hundreds rally around Red Deer teen after assault

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