Police continue trying to find the person who attacked a young girl in Southlands this week. He tried to pull her into a wooded area during a game of spotlight, but she got away and suffered only minor injuries.

RNC put on extra patrols, and are asking people with any footage or information to contact them.

Olivia Lynch, the executive director of Violence Prevention Avalon East, says an incident such as this can shake a person to the core, especially as it happened when she was doing what children should be doing – playing outside.

Lynch says it changes the sense of security that a person once had.

She says there are things that people can do in terms of personal protection.

“We have safety alarms at Violence Prevention. If people want to send us an email, we will get one out to you,” says Lynch. “They have a little pin mechanism that sends a loud alarm, and it’s very jarring to people.”

She says some people may also consider enrolling in self defense classes.