Boy, 15, charged in vicious attack on teen girl in Winnipeg

A 15-year-old boy has been charged in the vicious beating of a teen girl in downtown Winnipeg near a hotel where both were living in the care of children's services.

Police said the boy has beencharged with aggravated assaultand aggravated sexual assault.

The girl, who is also15,remainsin critical condition as a result of the attack, which happened on Hargrave Street. She was found early Wednesday morning.

Const.Chris Wingfield with the Winnipeg Police Service said he doesn't know if the girl will survive.

He said the suspect and victim were known to each other.

"It's my understanding that they were walking around together downtown and some kind of argument ensued between the two of them."

• Manitoba foster care questioned after girl's vicious attack
• Children in care to be taken out of Winnipeg hotels after serious attack on girl

Both the girl and the boy arein care of the province's Child and Family Services (CFS) systemand were being housedat the same hotelnot far from where the girlwas found, police said.

The boy, who is now in custodyat the Manitoba Youth Centre, was the one who flagged officers down for help, claiming to be a passerby who found the girl.

After questioning him, officers became suspicious of his story and pressed him further, which led to the arrest.

No other charges are expected, although the boy's charges would be upgraded if the girl does not survive, police said.

CBC News has talked to another teen who met the victim Tuesday evening and saidshe appeared to have been drinking and was with a group of friends when she left her hotel.

TinaFontaine hadbeenstaying in same hotel

Last fall, CBC News did a series of stories about the troubles of teens in government care staying in hotels.

• Teens in Winnipeg hotels say they've seen prostitution, drugs

That followed the death in August of Tina Fontaine, another 15-year-old girl who was in CFS care and had been staying in the same downtown hotel as Wednesday's beating victim.

Fontaine'sbody was pulled from the Red River on Aug. 17, wrapped in a bag.

• Tina Fontaine, 15, found in bag in Red River

A week earlier, Fontainewas taken to hospital by ambulance after shewas found passed out in a back lane. She was later returned to the hotel but was allowed to leave once again. She was reported missing the next day and not seen again until her body was found.

Police are treating herdeath as a homicide, but no arrests have been made to date.

Hours after news of the assault on Wednesday,Manitoba'sFamily Services MinisterKerriIrvin-Rossvowed, through tears and sobs,to end the practice of placing children in care in hotels by June 1.

Manitoba hasabout10,000 children in care and onany given day, dozensare put up in hotel rooms because there aren't enoughfoster care homes.