Some members of the Sikh community in British Columbia want to see charges laid against a 17-year-old Sikh youth who said five white men jumped him, ripped off his turban and cut off his hair two weeks ago.

They say hate crimes are a serious matter, and incidents such as this could diminish the response to real hate crimes against Sikhs.

Shinder Purewal, a Sikh instructor at Kwantlen University College, said the RCMP should lay charges against the Richmond boy, who has not been identified.

Cpl. Peter Thiesson told a news conference on Saturday that the teen's wounds were self-inflicted.
Cpl. Peter Thiesson told a news conference on Saturday that the teen's wounds were self-inflicted.

He also said the boy's family should compensate the police for any costs incurred during the investigation of the fake hate crime, because they must have known his story was untrue.

"I'm hoping – and there are many in the community who hope – the RCMP lay some charges against the boy and hopefully also against the family," Purewal told reporters over the weekend.

On the weekend, police said the youth admitted he made up the story to account for the fact that he had cut his own hair, even injuring himself to lend credibility to his story of five men punching and robbing him.

For religious reasons, the boy's hair had never been cut.

A similar claim by a youth in Surrey several years ago also turned out to be a hoax.

Police wouldn't discuss a possible motive for the incident, telling a news conference Saturday that they haven't yet decided whether they will lay charges.

"I am really sorry for everything that has happened," the teenager, who has asked to remain anonymous, said in a statement released by police on Saturday.

"I did not realize that it will become an issue at such a large scale. My sincere apologies to my family, friends, the RCMP and overall community – whose feelings I have hurt in this whole ordeal. I have to work very hard to rebuild the trust I lost."