OttawaA 17-year-old has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault after an attack on a young girl in Quadeville, Ont., that provincial police initially said was likely caused by an animal.Police initially said they suspected an animal was behind June 24 attackTrevor Pritchard · CBC News · Posted: Jul 09, 2025 8:03 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 hours agoOntario teen charged with attempted murder in mysterious attack on childA 17-year-old boy has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault in an attack last month in Quadeville, Ont., on an eight-year-old girl that officials initially suspected to be an animal attack. A 17-year-old has been charged with attempted murder and sexual assault after an attack on a young girl in Quadeville, Ont., that provincial police initially said was likely caused by an animal.The eight-year-old girl had been missing for hours when she was found around 12:30 a.m. on June 25 with potentially life-threatening injuries in the woods in the village roughly 60 kilometres southwest of Renfrew.At the time, police said they suspected an animal attack had led to the girl’s injuries.In a news release Wednesday night, OPP said they had charged a teenage male from eastern Ontario on Tuesday with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon on a person under 16 years old.Because of the youth’s age, they cannot be named. The young girl remains in hospital, OPP said Wednesday night.OPP initially warned people in Quadeville, Ont., to keep their young children under close supervision after an eight-year-old girl was found with injuries they suspected were caused by an animal. On Wednesday, they said they had charged a 17-year-old with attempted murder and sexual assault. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)’No traces of animal DNA’OPP say while early evidence suggested an animal was to blame for the girl’s injuries, investigators did not rule out human involvement.The police force had been consulting both the Ministry of Natural Resources and experts in animal attacks as it delved into what had happened.”To aid in the investigation, multiple pathology experts were consulted,” spokesperson Bill Dickson wrote Wednesday. “While the incident is still under investigation, recent testing of samples taken from the victim’s wounds has now revealed no traces of animal DNA.”Dickson told CBC the teen had appeared in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.In the wake of the attack, people in and around the small Ottawa Valley community expressed concerns about their safety, with some telling CBC the lack of information was causing rumours to spread.OPP said they would be holding a meeting in Quadeville on Saturday to address questions and worries that residents might have.Dozens of local community members searched for the young girl after she was reported missing at around 9 p.m. on June 24.After several hours, she was found in a forested area behind homes located on Quadeville Road. She was first taken to hospital in Barry’s Bay before being airlifted to the CHEO children’s hospital in Ottawa.At the time, the Ornge ambulance service confirmed they had “transported a pediatric patient to CHEO with critical injuries relating to an animal attack.”Joseph Fiorentino, the pastor of Quadeville Pentecostal Church, previously told CBC that he’d been informed by a doctor that it was “a miracle she was alive.”The local fire department says firefighters helped OPP officers extract the injured girl from dense woods in Quadeville around 12:30 a.m. on June 25. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)ABOUT THE AUTHORTrevor Pritchard is the weekend assignment producer at CBC Ottawa, as well as a digital reporter and occasional newsreader. He’s previously reported in Toronto, Saskatoon and Cornwall, Ont.
Teen charged with attempted murder in attack on girl in Quadeville, Ont.
