Man charged for allegedly assaulting a child in a Winnipeg school washroom

Winnipeg police say a 28-year-old man has been charged with allegedly assaulting a child in a school washroom.

WPS says around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, officers responded to an elementary school in St. Vital after receiving a report that an unknown man had entered the school and confronted a child.

It is believed that once inside the school, the man hid in a washroom stall, and when a student exited an adjacent stall, the man allegedly grabbed the child. The child was able to break free, ran, and told a teacher.

“This child fought their way out, and quickly made a report, and here we are today, this person is in custody and did not have an opportunity to harm anybody else,” said Cst. Dani McKinnon, with the Winnipeg Police Service. “Nothing happened to this child physically in terms of harm, thank god, and what a brave student.”

The school was placed in a hold and secure, and police were called; however, the man fled before they arrived.

Police say a witness followed the man into a mall along St. Mary’s Road, and a short time later, police and mall security were able to locate him and take him into custody.

Since, 28-year-old Scott William George has been charged with assault, forcible confinement, and two counts of failing to comply with prohibition regarding children.

According to court records, George has a long criminal history dating back to 2015, a charge for sexual interference, which he pleaded guilty to in 2023.

“That is some really proactive, excellent work, I mean, they weren’t in danger because this person was on foot, and they were in a vehicle, and the police were contacted, and they worked together,” said Cst. McKinnon.

Christian Michalik, superintendent with the Louis Riel School Division, says the Darwin School community is shaken and disturbed by what happened. He says most schools have numerous doors around the building that remain locked throughout the day, but the front doors typically see a lot of foot traffic.

“Incredibly grateful to the staff in the ways they responded, and to the broader community in having been a part of the response,” said Michalik.

“The reality of a school is, students, staff, community, are in and out of the school all day long, and so we’re reviewing all of that, what exactly occurred, and how we can be more vigilant than we already are.”

Winnipeg police are also encouraging parents and caregivers to talk to their children about child safety and the power of “seeing something, say something.”

“At the end of the day, if something looks wrong, feels wrong, fight your way out of it, talk to a safe adult. This safe adult happened to be down the hall in the child’s classroom, thankfully,” said Cst. McKinnon.

-With files from Eddie Huband