Rosedale community plans memorial to honour memory of girl found in dumpster 1 year ago
CBC
It's been almost one year since a little girl's remains were discovered in a dumpster in Rosedale. Her identity is still unknown, and police remain tight-lipped on her case — but the community hasn't forgotten.
"It happened in Rosedale, right in our backyard, and people want to remember her, people want to acknowledge her," Rosedale Presbyterian Church Reverend David Cho told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Friday.
"This is an opportunity for us to do it as a collective, as a Rosedale community, as a city in general."
Cho says he and his congregation have been working hard to keep the girl's memory alive after her body was found last May. They've been discussing her memorial since the fall, and planning around the possibility that by the time the anniversary came, her identity might still not be known.
"When something like this happens, we assume that the police are going to find the answers and we can move on and we can mourn and grieve, but at least know that there was closure. But we were just kind of left hanging," he said.
Toronto police have said the girl was likely between the ages of four to seven, and of African or mixed African descent. She was three feet, six inches tall, with a thin build. Her black curly hair was sectioned in four short ponytails, two of which were braided and tied with black and blue elastics. She had all her teeth.
Investigators believe her remains were left in the area between April 28 and May 2 of last year. The girl, however, may have died as early as the summer or fall of 2021, or even earlier, police have said.
Investigators don't believe the girl was ever reported missing to police in Canada.
In an email to CBC News, Toronto police said while officers will be attending and speaking at the memorial, they won't be providing updates on the active investigation.
"TPS Investigators are 100 per cent committed to finding answers and identifying the little girl," said spokesperson Stephanie Sayer.
Cho says police have been supportive of the memorial and he is appreciative of their involvement. Even though time has passed since the discovery of the girl's body, Cho says the community is still affected by her story.
"We're going to do this to to honour her life, to give her some dignity, you know, something that she didn't have in her death."
The service in the girl's memory will be at 2 p.m. at the Rosedale Presbyterian Church at 129 Mount Pleasant Road. A livestream on YouTube will also be available.
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