‘Hate Crime’ Hoax: Girl Who Said Her Hijab Was ‘Cut Off’ Lied, Say Toronto Police

Police in Toronto, Ontario, say that an 11-year-old Muslim girl, who claimed attackers tried to cut off her hijab, lied about the attack.

“After a detailed investigation, police have determined that the events described in the original news release did not happen,” police said, according to the CBC.

Officials added that the case is also now closed.

The investigation was sparked by the claims of schoolgirl Khawlah Noman who told police she was attacked near Pauline Johnson Public School in Scarborough on January 12. She said that a man dressed in black came up behind her, pulled off her hood, and then cut off her hijab with a pair of scissors. She also said she was attacked twice.

The girl claimed she was “really scared” by the attack.

“Sadly, someone insulted me by cutting my hijab two times,” the girl told reporters last week. “I felt really scared and confused because I didn’t feel comfortable.”

The story quickly became national news in Canada. “My heart goes out the young girl who was attacked, seemingly for her religion,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday.

“We all need to remind ourselves of today and every day that we are better than this,” Trudeau added.

But now police are saying the attack never occurred.

“These allegations were extremely serious, and not surprisingly, they received national and international attention,” police spokesperson Mark Pugash said.

Pugash added that investigators are sure of their conclusion but that the girl won’t face any consequences for her false report.

For its part, administrators at the girl’s school are saying they are glad that the incident is a hoax. School officials said they are “very thankful that this assault did not in fact happen” but added they won’t be commenting any further.

A human rights activist, though, claims that the hoax attack is still an occasion for serious consideration.

Saying the girl may not understand that her lies were a serious problem, Ottawa-based human rights activist Amira Elghawaby said the girl should be “given support.”

“Hindsight is 20/20, and I’m sure the police, and the school and everyone will be reviewing how this was addressed. And we, as community members, all we want to do is think about this young girl — give her support — we don’t want her to be vilified,” Elghawaby said.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.