A 21-year-old man is facing an aggravated sexual assault charge after an alleged assault on a young girl from the Paul First Nation.
James Clifford Paul of no fixed address was arrested just before midnight on Saturday, December 20th. In addition to the aggravated sexual assault charge, he is also facing charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.
Police and emergency crews were called to the Paul First Nation around 4:30 on Saturday afternoon after a family member found the young girl, lying on the ground, clinging to life. She was airlifted to hospital by STARS Air Ambulance. A STARS spokesperson said the young girl had “injuries related to blunt trauma”.
At a news conference on Monday, RCMP confirmed that the girl is in stable, but very serious condition and has not regained consciousness. Investigators believe she had sustained serious injuries, and spent several hours outside before she was found.
RCMP also confirmed that the suspect was known to them and to the girl, but say they are still investigating his relationship to her family.
“This arrest came about so quickly because local citizens picked up the phone and called investigators with the information they needed to take this dangerous criminal off the streets,” said Superintendent Gary Steinke, Officer-in-Charge of the RCMP Serious Crimes Unit. “Our focus now is on helping the victim’s family and community deal with the impact of this horrendous attack.”
Shane Pospisil, a band spokesperson, says the family is grateful from the outpouring of support they have received from across Canada.
A trust fund will be set up in the coming days for the girl. Her name is not being released to protect her identity, so the fund will be set up in the name “Christmas Angel”.
“The parents are dealing with this as best they can, they are very strong individuals, but when an incident like this happens, whatever your internal strength is, you need support from your community, and we’re seeing it from all Canadians.”
Paul is currently in custody, and will appear in Stony Plain Provincial Court on January 7, 2015.
With files from Nicole Weisberg, Laura Tupper, and David Ewasuk
