Family of Halifax toddler no longer wants alleged sex assault investigated

Police say the family of a toddler who was allegedly sexually assaulted in Halifax last week has decided not to proceed with the case.

“This is hugely traumatic and they are just digesting it. It’s scary and overwhelming. It’s a personal decision. They feel it’s the best decision for the family,” Halifax Regional Police spokesperson Const. Dianne Woodworth said Tuesday morning.

Police said the toddler’s mother called them about half an hour after the 7:30 p.m. incident last Friday on Wood Ave.

Woodworth said the girl, who is younger than four, had been outside playing with a group of children and adults when a strange man led her behind a building.

Police said the man touched the girl in a sexual manner then left the area.

He is described as a black man with a chubby nose and cheeks who was wearing a helmet and riding a bicycle.

The girl’s mother went looking for her daughter after not seeing her in the courtyard area. Woodworth says the mother found her behind a building and the girl told her what happened.

“If the victim/family doesn’t wish to proceed, we respect the wishes of the family,” said Woodworth.

Woodworth did note they would keep an eye out for the person allegedly involved, and in a clarification to media in a release later on Tuesday, a statement from HRP said that “police have an obligation to continue to investigate this crime given there is a broader public safety issue.”