Police in Courtenay are searching for witnesses after a Grade 10 girl was allegedly assaulted by a group of four other teens.

Mounties were called to a trail between Valley View Drive and nearby Valley View Elementary School for a report of an assault Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.

The victim's mother, who wished to remain anonymous, said her daughter was attacked on a trail she has been walking on since she was in Kindergarten.

"They came from behind. They hit her in the head so hard her vision went blurry," the mother told CTV News. "She remembers hearing boys' and girls' voices. She identified the pants and shoes of the four individuals."

She said the teens hit and kicked her daughter "multiple times" while telling her she "didn't deserve to live and that maybe this would teach her a lesson."

She alleged the group had the girl on her back while kicking her up against a rock on the trail. She said her daughter's head was hit so hard in the attack, it left her unconscious.

The mother said her daughter was left with extensive bruising and a concussion from head trauma, and is also dealing with the mental repercussions of the attack.

"She sustained some pretty significant injuries," said Comox Valley RCMP spokeswoman Const. Monika Terragni.

The suspects, believed to be teens, were described as follows:

  • One wearing baggy blue jeans and Vans shoes
  • One with long blonde hair and black-and-white checkered shoes
  • One wearing brown pants
  • One wearing white shoes and black-and-white pants

Police say the attack was likely targeted and acknowledged that it has been a topic of discussion on social media.

"There've been a lot of shares and a lot of people talking about it. What we want to focus on is identifying any witnesses who may have seen anything, and we want that information to go to the correct spot," said Terragni.

Investigators are now reaching out to the public to see if anyone can help identify the suspects.

“This is a busy time of day, lots of people likely travelling to and from the area schools. We are hoping that someone saw what happened, or even saw a group of teenagers matching the description provided by the victim,” said Terragni.

The Comox Valley School District sent out a media release saying it was "deeply concerned" and taking the assault "very seriously."

It also pointed to the province's ERASE bullying program, which offers a tool to report instances of bullying to schools or school districts in confidence.

Police are asking anyone who saw a group of teens matching the descriptions to contact them at 250-338-1321 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.