Bail Granted to 4th Teen Among 8 Charged in Fatal Stabbing of Toronto Man

Police have identified Ken Lee, 59, as the Toronto man allegedly stabbed to death by a group of teenage girls on Dec. 18, 2022. The Canadian Press/HO-Toronto Police Service

Bail has been granted to a fourth girl who, along with seven other teen girls, is charged with second-degree murder in the “swarming” attack and fatal stabbing of Toronto man Ken Lee.

The girl, represented by defence lawyer Anne Marie Morphew, was granted bail on Jan. 31, reported CBC News. The girl’s identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).

The teen faces several bail conditions, including that she must stay at home and cannot have access to the internet except for the purposes of schooling, meeting with lawyers, medical appointments, or counselling. The girl is also banned from contacting her co-accused, cannot have a cell phone, and is not allowed to leave the province of Ontario.

The eight teenage girls involved in the attack—ranging in age from 13 to 16—allegedly stabbed Lee, 59, in the downtown Toronto area near York Street and University Avenue on Dec. 18.

The police previously described the assault as a “swarming” type of behaviour, which normally involves selecting a target to victimize. The police noted that the eight suspects are from “various parts of the city” and had probably “met each other through social media.” Police say it was unclear why the girls chose to meet and why they selected downtown Toronto as their destination.

On Dec. 29, one of the eight teenagers was first granted bail, while the bail hearing process began in early January for the other seven accused. Each of the teens has their own day in court to seek bail. All of the bail hearings are being heard at a Toronto courthouse.

Calls for Reform

A female witness who claimed to be Lee’s friend said he was attacked while defending her from the eight girls, who were trying to steal a bottle of alcohol from the woman, reported Global News. Lee was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital, police said at the time.

“He died a hero,” said a Jan. 16 statement from Helen Shum, Lee’s sister. Shum is raising funds for Lee’s funeral.

Shum and her husband, Eric Shum, said they’ve written to several federal, provincial, and municipal officials to call for changes to the YCJA, which applies to Canadian youth aged 12 to 17.

The youth criminal justice system is separate from the adult system based on the principle that youth are “presumed to be less morally blameworthy than adults,” according to a Government of Canada website on the YCJA.

Shum challenged the protection of the young offenders’ identity in Lee’s case under YCJA rules.

“In this particular murder case, is the youth justice system really protecting the public? I have a lot of questions as to why we are protecting those criminals that committed murder,” Shum said in her statement.

“Why do we need to protect their privacy? Society needs to know who these perpetrators are; especially if they are attending school,” she said.

“As a parent, I would want to know if a perpetrator was in my child’s school or my child’s class.”

Shum’s email was addressed to Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Mark Holland, Chief Justice David Lametti, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, and Toronto Mayor John Tory.

Shum also commended Ford’s call for bail reform after the recent murder of OPP Const. Grzegorz “Greg” Pierzchal by a suspect who was also granted bail.

“For this crime of murder, the optics of allowing bail continue to demonstrate a weak YCJA system sending a message to young offenders that they can do anything and not be held accountable,” Shum wrote.