Student facing criminal charges over emails counselling suicide: Ottawa police

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The Ottawa police hate and bias crime unit has lodged charges against a student who allegedly sent threatening emails to another student.

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In a release, police said “incidents of hate” were reported to frontline officers last October.

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The communications, made in September and October, were motivated by “sexual orientation.”

“The charges include counselling suicide, criminal harassment, and mischief,” police alleged.

The school wasn’t identified by police other than to say it is in the 1500 block of Tenth Line Road in the east end.

The accused student, who was not named, as per the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was to appear in court at a later date.

Police continue to urge people who have experienced hate-related incidents to report the incidents for investigation.

Anyone who has experienced hate-motivated crime, or knows of such cases, can report them to police at 613-236-1222, ext. 7300 or online.

Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppers.ca.

People facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It’s our policy not to name those charged unless we plan to follow the case through the justice system or it’s of significant public interest to identify them.