The stepfather of a youth stabbed in Sooke last week says he’s opting for restorative justice in the wake of the incident.
Sooke RCMP responded to reports of the stabbing at around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14th, along a wooded trail near the end of Throup Road, not far from Journey Middle School.
After arriving on scene, officers found a youth suffering from “significant” injuries.
The victim received first aid from witnesses until the arrival of paramedics, who then transported them to hospital.
At this time, a second youth was taken into custody by police without incident, where they remained with a date in court.
“It’s been an emotional roller coaster,” the victim’s stepfather, Tim Baillie, told Victoria Buzz.
“He’s doing really well right now; he’s back at home in Sooke, and it looks like all the physical injuries he received will be without complication.”
Baillie’s thanking the bystander who came to his stepson’s aid, as well as the dispatcher, first responders, RCMP and Victoria General Hospital staff.
Still, what remains is a long road to mental, emotional and social repair for all involved, according to Baillie. “There will still be bouts of shock for a long time,” he said.
It’s prompting Baillie to launch a Facebook fundraiser in hopes of raising $10,000 to fund a positive and restorative project, event or program.
“The money can be used for a restorative response rather than a destructive reaction,” he wrote to the fundraiser page.
“It became evident that there was an opportunity for the community to do something a little out of the ordinary and make it more of a positive outcome than just something for people to be angry about.”
According to Baillie, following the stabbing, many in Sooke are feeling scared, angry and hopeless. With the fundraiser, he’s hoping the local community will feel empowered.
“Let’s make sure the victim, as well as the perpetrator of the stabbing, gets the counselling and other support they will need. These are children. They and their families will need help,” added Baillie.
“I ask all to reach deep into their hearts and support my stepson and his family and think of the horror the other family must also face.
“They also need your compassion and support.”
In an emailed statement, the Sooke School District (SD62) said it activated its Critical Incident Response and Violence Threat Risk Assessment teams late Thursday afternoon.
“Those teams will continue to work with the RCMP and professional agencies in their ongoing investigations as well as supporting the students, staff and community at Journey Middle School in the coming days and weeks,” said SD62.
Police ask anyone with any information on the incident to call Sooke RCMP at (250) 642-5241. To remain anonymous, tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477 (TIPS).
“This appears to be an isolated incident and there is no further risk to the public,” police said Thursday.
