A 16-year-old girl has been arrested for allegedly assaulting an Asian American woman and harassing her family. The victim said she does not want the girl to be jailed.
Last week, Joanna Lin filmed an altercation between an Asian American family and a group of girls on a southbound F train at West 4th Street. Sue Young, the mother of the family, said she believed that the girls were laughing at them, CBS News reports. She laughed with them hoping to break the tension, which escalated the situation.
In the video, one of the girls approaches Lin after she realizes they’re being filmed. Lin told ABC 7 New York the girl attacked her off-camera. Young, hoping to stand up for Lin, shove one of the other girls who then fought back.
On Tuesday, August 8, the NYPD arrested one of the girls and charged her with two counts of assault. The victims say they do not believe the incident is a hate crime.
Young also does not believe jail time is an appropriate intervention.
“We all want her to be held accountable for her actions. Everybody deserves safety on the subway. But now the hard part begins. What is the appropriate intervention for this teen?” Young told NBC News. “We hope to come to an understanding with the other party, through a professionally mediated discussion, and we want the world to know about it.”
Young is also worried that the viral video has increased tension between Black and Asian communities. She told NBC News she wants to help diffuse it.
Lin also hopes that the girl who attacked her receives the help she needs.
“I also hope she gets the therapy, counseling and mentorship needed to move up from here,” Lin said in a separate statement, according to NBC News. “Let this be a lesson to our community to not bully others.”
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