Man charged in alleged hate-motivated assault at Toronto subway station

A man has been charged in connection with what police say was a hate-motivated assault at the Bloor-Yonge subway station last month.

The 34-year-old faces charges of assault and breach of probation in connection with the Jan. 18 incident.

Toronto police say they were called to the station around 8:30 a.m. that day, after a man struck a victim in the head, causing their religious head covering to come loose and fall to the ground.

The man then allegedly made "derogatory comments" toward the victim and left the area.

Police have not released the victim's age, gender or religious affiliation.

In cases where police believe a criminal offence is motivated be hate or bias, the officer in charge of the investigation will consult with the Crown, police say. A judge will then consider hate as a factor when sentencing an accused if they are convicted.