Toronto police say an 11-year-old girl's report of having her hijab cut by a scissors-wielding man as she walked to school last week did not happen.
Police had been investigating the alleged incident as a hate crime and now say their investigation is concluded.
The alleged incident captured national attention after it was reported Friday and drew public condemnation from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.
The sixth-grade student had said she was walking to school with her younger brother when a man came up behind her, pulled off her jacket hood, and started cutting the bottom of her hijab.
She had said the man ran off but returned a short time later and once again started cutting her hijab from behind. The girl said that when she turned to confront him, the man smiled and ran away.
A spokesman for the Toronto District School Board said Monday they are "very thankful'' that the alleged assault did not happen.