A 30-year-old Muslim woman was left crying and shaking after a violent assault outside of a Toronto elementary school in what police are calling a hate crime.
Officers said the woman was assaulted at approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, as she walked to pick up her son. She was outside of Grenoble Public School, on Grenoble Drive near Don Mills Road and Eglinton Avenue East, when two men began to yell racial slurs at her.
Police said the woman heard the men, but continued walking. One of the men then pulled on her hijab and began to assault her, officers said.
She was punched in the face and kicked in the stomach, and her cellphone and money were stolen, police said.
The woman fled into the school, and was then taken to hospital to be treated for her injuries. Police officers in the area were then flagged down by Sahar Badawi, a woman who was nearby at the time of the attack.
"She was in very bad shape, crying. She was shaking," Badawi told reporters at the school.
Police said they are treating the assault as a hate crime, because of the woman's clothing and the racial slurs.
"It must be so scary for the woman now. It would be so difficult for her to walk on the road, the same way it is difficult for people to walk around Paris right now," a woman who lives in the area said.
"We live in Canada, we're supposed to be safe around here," another said.
On Tuesday, the woman’s family spoke out, saying they are both scared and upset.
The victim is still recovering from her injuries, but the effects of the assault will last much longer, her brother said.
“It’s a scar for life. Let’s put it that way,” he said.
The family has requested to keep the woman’s identity hidden.
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, who represents the Toronto riding where the assault took place, told reporters that Canadians need to "be vigilant" against racism in the days following the Paris attacks.
"I think that this is actually a time we need to reach out to our Muslim neighbours and friends and recognize the acts that took place in Paris were acts of terrorism and not borne of religion."
The National Council of Canadian Muslims also advised members of the Muslim community to be wary of backlash, but asked members to respond to all crimes "with prayers, and only prayers."
Toronto Mayor John Tory addressed the attack, calling it "disgusting" and "unacceptable." Tory said the attack does not reflect the city's values.
The suspects have been described as two white men, but no further description has been provided.
Police said they are reviewing security camera footage captured in the area in an effort to identify potential suspects. Anyone who witnessed the attack is asked to come forward.
Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird said notes will be going home with students on Tuesday, to inform parents of what happened outside of the school.
