Edmonton police lay charges in 'hate-motivated' attacks on 3 women

A44-year-old man has been charged inconnection with three "hate-motivated"attacksin south Edmonton on women, two of whom were wearing head coverings.

Shane Edward Tremblay, of no fixed address,faces three counts each of uttering threats and assault.

"The actions of this individual have traumatized these three women and created a significant level of fear in our community," Sgt. Gary Willitsof the hate crimes and violent extremism unit of the Edmonton Police Service,said in a news release Monday.

Tremblay is well known to policeand Edmonton Transitfor "multiple related incidents over the last few years,"Willits said.

Willits creditedtransit officials,University of AlbertaProtectiveServices andbusinesses along Whyte Avenue, especially staff of a convenience store, who he said were instrumental in identifying thesuspect.

The news release describes "three recent hate-motivated incidents involving women" on Edmonton streets.

At 12:15 p.m. MT on Feb. 3, a19-year-old woman wearing a hijab was waiting inside the University of Alberta Transit Centrewhen she was approached by a man utteringracial slurs, police said.

The man became aggressive, posturing as though he was about to assault the woman. He fled after a transitemployee became involved.

The second incident occurred 30 minutes laternear 100th Street and WhyteAvenue whena man ran across the road and stopped on the sidewalk, blocking the way of a27-year-oldBlack womanwearing a burka.

The manbegan swearing and yelling insults. He crossedthe street away from the woman, then crossed back and pushed her from behind whilemaking threats to kill her and tear off her burka.

Tremblay also facescharges in relationto a third incident at2:10 p.m. onJan. 18. A 43-year-old Black woman outside a convenience store near 91st Street and WhyteAvenue was followed into the store, where she was assaulted.

Arrest sends a message

Jibril Ibrahim,president of Edmonton's Somali-Canadian Cultural Society, saidthe arrest sends a message.

"Itgives people in the community a sense of confidence and safety because they can see that steps are being taken to protect them," Ibrahim said.

"But also the people who are out there, who feel that they can harass people, whether they are driving or they are walking on the streets or just waiting for abus or LRT, at least now they know that they will not be able to get away with it."

Ibrahimsaid legislation needs to be amended togive police more freedom to lay charges in incidents related to misogyny, Islamophobia and racewhile still respectingfreedom of speech. He isalso calling for improvements to the reporting processto ensure victims feel safe and incidents don'tgo unreported.

The hate crimes unit is recommending Section 718.2 of the Criminal Codeof Canada be applied in this case, allowing the courts to consider increased sentencing if there is evidence the offence was motivated by hatred, the release said.

There have been at least threeother recent similar attacks in south Edmonton.