Canadian teen charged after racist attack against Indian couple in Peterborough

Police in Peterborough have arrested an 18-year-old from the City of Kawartha Lakes in connection with a racist confrontation targeting an Indian couple in the Lansdowne Place Mall parking lot on July 29, 2025.

The incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, shows three young men in a white pickup truck blocking the couple’s car before shouting profanities, racial slurs, and threats, including, “Do you want me to get out of the car and f***ing kill you?” One of the men also made obscene gestures toward the vehicle.

Following an investigation and consultation with the Crown Attorney’s office, the accused has been charged with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, said the Peterborough police in an official statement. While Canada has no specific hate crime charge, police confirmed there is a hate-motivated element to the case that will be addressed in court.

Peterborough Police Chief Stuart Betts condemned the behaviour, urging residents to report hate-bias incidents so police can investigate and take action. The accused has been released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear in court on September 16, 2025.