Police seeking victims of alleged assaults by group of teen girls on the TTC in December

Toronto police investigators are asking for the public's help in tracking down anyone who was assaulted by a group of teenage girls on Line 1 of the TTC back in December.

In a news release issued on Wednesday, police said that between the hours of 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. on Dec. 17, a group of eight to 10 teenage girls randomly assaulted several people.

These alleged assaults occurred on the TTC at Queen's Park, St. Patrick, Osgoode, St. Andrew and Union stations.

"Officers are urging anyone who may have been a victim to come forward and speak with investigators," the news release reads.

The general area, date and time of the incidents lines up with the death of 59-year-old Ken Lee, who was killed near Union Station in an alleged "swarming" attack by eight teenage girls in Toronto last month.

However, Toronto police told CBC News they cannot confirm any link between the TTC assaults and Lee's death, nor would they provide any other information about the incidents. The TTC referred any requests for comment back to police.

The news release issued on Wednesday does not ask for help finding any suspects, only victims.

Const. Shannon Eames, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, said later on Wednesday that the police's homicide unit is investigating Lee's death, while the police's 52 division is investigating the assaults. She declined to confirm a link.

Eames said she didn't know if a weapon was used in the assaults, she couldn't confirm if the TTC supplied video footage to help in the investigation, and she didn't know if any victims have come forward. She also couldn't say if police have any outstanding suspects.

After Lee's death, police told CBC News that the teens accused of killing him were allegedly involved in other incidents around the same place and time. Investigators asked anyone who may have been in contact with the girls to speak to police.

Lee was pronounced dead in hospital after he was allegedly beaten and stabbed by a group of girls outside a downtown shelter in the early morning hours of Dec. 18, 2022. 

All eight girls, who range in age from 13 to 16 years old, were charged with second-degree murder. One was granted bail in late December, while the rest have bail hearings scheduled for later this month.

Their identities are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Police are urging anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-5200, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.