The teens who set the clothing of another boy on fire last week will not face charges.
“The investigators have completed their investigation and it was determined that in this incident there was no malicious intent,” said Whitehorse RCMP Const. Dean Hoogland.
The 13-year-old boy was approached by a group of other teens around the same age who sprayed his jacket with an aerosol deodorant and then lit the sleeve on fire.
His hair and eyelashes were singed, but he was not seriously hurt.
Hoogland said investigators, and the parents of everyone involved, have agreed to handle the situation outside of court.
“(Investigators) felt that charges weren’t appropriate in this case and that more of an educational factor would be appropriate.”
Alternative punishments could include things like curfews enforced by their parents, consequences at school or an educational component designed to teach them about safety and respect, Hoogland said.
All parties have to be in agreement.
“The investigators believe that, given their young age, this was a form of experimenting or even a form of, for lack of a better word, horseplay and not realizing what the potential implications could have been,” Hoogland said.