Toronto Teen Convicted of Gang-Slaying of Homeless Man in 2022 | World News

TORONTO, Sept. 16 — One of eight teenage girls charged with the gang murder of a homeless man in Toronto in 2022 was sentenced Monday but will not serve any further prison time.

The girl, who was 13 at the time of the crime, is the first of the group to be convicted. She pleaded guilty to manslaughter and cannot be named under Canada’s Youth Criminal Law.

The judge decided that she would not serve any more prison time, but would instead serve an additional 15 months of probation on top of the 15 months she has already served. The judge also ordered her to complete an intensive treatment program.

Police say a group of girls, ages 13 to 16 at the time, attacked, ganged up on and stabbed 59-year-old homeless man Kenneth Lee to death in downtown Toronto in late 2022.

“She is appalled by her actions,” her lawyer, Leo Adler, told Reuters.

In deciding the sentence, Adler said the judge took into account the fact that the defendant had been held in a prison-like “closed detention centre” for 93 days against the judge’s orders and had been subjected to repeated strip searches, contrary to regulations.

“The sentence is what I wanted so I definitely think it’s the right sentence,” he added.

“The judge clearly believes she has great potential and that the risk of reoffending is very low.”

Adler added that while this was a “horrific event,” his client did not set out that night to kill anyone.

“In Canada, we don’t treat 13-year-olds the same as adults. Their brains are formed and function differently.”

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