Woman accused of throwing boiling water on 10-year-old boy faces aggravated assault charge

The child suffered extensive burns to his face, head and body after being drenched with boiling water while walking home from school.   (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press - image credit)
The child suffered extensive burns to his face, head and body after being drenched with boiling water while walking home from school. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press - image credit)

A 46-year-old woman from Longueuil, Que., who allegedly threw boiling water at a 10-year-old boy as he walked by her home is facing a charge of aggravated assault.

Stéphanie Borel was arrested following the attack on Oct. 2 that left the boy with serious burns to his head, face, torso and back.

She was released the same day on a promise to appear and under conditions, including not contacting the child and his family, said the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL).

Borel is expected to appear at the Longueuil courthouse Friday afternoon for her first court appearance.

A publication ban on the boy's identity was issued on Friday.

The boy told Radio-Canada that he was walking home from school with friends in the city on the South Shore of Montreal and that they "took a shortcut" that passes in front of the woman's residence near the intersection of Curé-Poirier Boulevard East and Chambly Road.

His father said the boy arrived home around 4 p.m., screaming, "Dad, someone threw boiling water on me. I've been burned!"

Following the attack, Borel allegedly told the boy's father that she assaulted his son because he had a habit of knocking at her door for the past three years. The woman lives in a multi-residential building.

The boy's father said that was impossible as the family only came to the neighbourhood in January and the boy only started attending the school near the woman's home a month ago.