Warning: This article contains disturbing details and images that may be triggering to readers. A shocking and violent recording of an apparent fight between two teenage girls Friday night in downtown Barrie now has police searching for suspects and witnesses involved. Police said a 16-year-old girl was taken to hospital following the beating along Lakeshore Drive as thousands converged on the city for the opening night of Kempenfest. The 30-second video appears to show the teen being thrown to the ground before being mounted, punched and slapped repeatedly; pummelled with at least 16 shots to the face and head in rapid succession. “The main girl was straddling her so she couldn’t move, she was not fighting back,” said the girl’s mother who spoke anonymously with CTV News. She said her daughter is traumatized and scared of retribution after the video of the beating was posted online and viewed across social media. At one point another teen appears to join in and slap and punch the 16-year-old on the ground when she is then kicked in the head by the other teen. Their entire beating was witnessed by a crowd of young people who had their phones in hand and could be heard laughing and screaming. “As you can see on the video, people are actively egging it on and laughing cheering getting their cell phones right in the face of the people involved. It’s disturbing to see,” said Barrie Police Staff Sgt. Aaron Geertsema. “It’s pretty clear in the video, this is an assault, the person was not fighting back,” said the longtime Barrie Police officer. While the moments leading up to and following the incident were not part of the video posted online, police believe the 16-year-old girl was victimized, based on the video and information provided to investigators. “They kept doing it until she was unconscious,” said the teen’s mother. “She was completely passed out like a rag doll on the cement, and they kept kicking her and everyone is standing by watching and laughing and cheering and videotaping. Not one person stepped in.” A group of men can be seen in the video coming to the teen’s aid as the crowd dispersed, by that time the teen was face down on the ground seemingly unconscious. Her mother said she was diagnosed with a concussion and suffered a chipped tooth and injuries to her eyes and face. She said her daughter told her the fight broke out over the throwing of a glass jar. “The punishment didn’t fit the crime,” said the teen’s mother. “She didn’t need to get attacked to the point of unconsciousness.” Police confirmed investigators are looking for those involved; encouraging the two young women to come forward to police along with those who witnessed it all happen. “They could’ve killed her. They could’ve killed her and nobody stepped in. I don’t know what is wrong with this world.” Police continue their investigation and have asked anyone in the area who may have witnessed the incident or has surveillance, dashcam or cell phone video of it to come forward and remind members of the public to call police should they witness an emergency situation.
