Two N.S. teens charged after allegedly swinging noose at Black family
The youths have been charged with public incitement of hatred
Two teenage boys are due in court next month in Bridgewater, N.S., on charges of public incitement of hatred after allegedly waving a noose at a Black man and his family last summer.
Greg Dean and Cyndi Rafuse were on a family camping trip with their two sons in the Chester, N.S., area on Aug. 15, 2020.
On that Saturday afternoon, they went to a municipal beach on Lower Grant Road and said a blue truck pulled into the parking lot. Dean said two teenagers got out of the truck and stared at him. He said he and his sons were the only people of colour on the beach that day.
Dean said one of the teens was holding a noose. He asked the two if there was a problem — to which one replied, "There might be," according to Dean.
RCMP did not lay charges after meeting with the family the following day, but they did launch an investigation.
Two teens were charged nine months later, according to court documents filed April 28. They cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The offence of public incitement of hatred carries a maximum sentence of two years.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
