Eight girls have been charged with criminal harassment for bullying at a high school in Ontario, the latest of a string of high-profile and tragic bullying incidents in Canada.
Police in the city of London said the girls were arrested after an investigation into physical, emotional and online bullying of a student at the school. They were charged and released on a promise to appear in court.
"Bullying will not be tolerated in our community. The behavior exhibited by these students is reprehensible and will be appropriately dealt with by the criminal justice system," London police service said in a statement.
Police gave no details about the victim, but said they were able to support the victim and ensure the victim was safe before dealing with the accused bullies. London is 200km west of Toronto.
The arrests follow news last week of the suicide of a Canadian teen, Amanda Todd, who killed herself after years of bullying, including sexual exploitation on the Internet. Ms Todd posted a YouTube video about a month before her death to share her unhappiness and torment.
It was just the latest in a string of suicides by bullying victims in Canada, which have garnered widespread media attention and sparked a backlash against bullying.
On Monday, an MP called for the creation of a house of commons committee to come up with a national bullying prevention strategy, and schools, police forces and provinces have launched projects or pledges to stop bullying.
Reuters