The teenage boy accused of the attempted murder and sexual assault of an eight-year-old Quadeville, Ont. girl made an appearance in a Pembroke court on Thursday.The 17-year-old, who cannot be named due to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, is charged with attempted murder and sexual assault with a weapon on a person under 16 years old.The young girl in question was found after midnight on June 24, along Quadeville Rd. in Quadeville with life-threatening injuries.She’d been reported missing hours prior.Initially, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) had said they suspected the girl was injured in an animal attack but didn’t rule out human involvement.Animal traps were set up as a precaution in the local area, and parents were asked to keep young children inside.Samples taken from the victim’s wounds revealed no traces of animal DNA, according to police.There have been mounting questions in the small, eastern Ontario community — located roughly 170 km west of Ottawa — for the past three weeks..Ontario teen charged after young girl found with life-threatening injuries blamed on animal.Last Saturday, the OPP held a town hall in response to growing concerns and frustration from local residents.“I want to recognize the impact the last two and a half weeks have had on this community,” OPP Supt. Derek Needham said at the start of the town hall. “The impact is not just felt by a close circle. It is felt by everyone in this community.”There were numerous questions regarding the police response time to the incident, with one local resident saying it took OPP, “almost six hours,” to get on scene.“As a parent, that’s not good enough,” the resident said. “If you guys are called for a child, you should be there when the call is put out.”Needham admitted it does take time to get specialized services out to the rural area, but said it was necessary to gather all of the resources to do a proper search.The incident has shaken the local community to its core, with one resident telling CTV, “It’s been a bit difficult to figure out how to support both families.“These are people we’ve known forever.”The 17-year-old will appear in court next month.
