On August 7, Peel Regional Police (PRP) arrested and charged a male suspect with the assault of a woman at the UTM campus after he turned himself in. Following the arrest, the suspect has since been prohibited from attending any U of T campus.

On August 5, the university first sent out a community alert, stating that an unknown man assaulted a woman at the UTM campus a day earlier. 

According to the UTM Campus Safety, the assault occurred around 2:30 pm on the second floor of the Communication, Culture, and Technology (CCIT) building. The email described the suspect as being 19–23 years old, approximately six feet tall with a slim build, black hair, and a tanned complexion. 

The suspect “physically overtook and assaulted” the student before fleeing the area. The police did not confirm that the victim is a UTM student, but said that the woman suffered minor injuries and that the incident is not believed to be a hate crime.

On August 8, the University of Toronto Mississauga Students’ Union (UTMSU) posted on their Instagram, stating that the assault occurred near the Sister’s Prayer Space in the CCIT building and that they believe it left “many students, especially [their] women-identifying and Muslim students, feeling unsafe.”

In their message, UTMSU promised to “[open] a temporary brother and sister prayer space at the Student Centre with constant supervision during prayer times.” 

“The university owes our community reassurance and a commitment to safety measures,” wrote the union. “Thus, the UTMSU will continue to pressure the university to offer additional support to our students and community members.” 

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) also posted on X in support of the victim. “We are aware of an alleged attack on a female Muslim student at the UTM campus at or around the prayer space. We are extremely concerned and are in touch with all relevant authorities,” stated NCCM. 

They posted a follow-up tweet, noting that “We understand that this incident is not currently being investigated as a hate-motivated incident. We will continue to work with all parties, including law enforcement, to make sure that everyone is kept safe.”

On August 9, the UTM administration sent a newsletter in which Principal Alex Gillespie informed the Mississauga community that UTM has increased security patrols and is exploring other safety measures since the assault. She also noted that the suspect has been “arrested and charged and is prohibited from attending UTM or any other U of T property.” 

Editor’s Note (August 10, 10:50 pm): A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the UTMSU claimed the victim to be a Muslim student. The article has been updated to clarify that the UTMSU voiced concerns for Muslim students’ safety on campus.