An alleged attack on an 11-year old Muslim girl as she walked to school in Toronto simply “did not happen” according to Canadian law enforcement, adding the anti-Muslim assault was a complete hoax and that the “investigation is now closed.”

The story made national headlines throughout Canada late last week, when the “victim” told local police that a man attempted to physically remove her hijab as she traveled to school with her younger sibling; attacking the child with a knife as he attempted to slash her religious head covering.

The 11-year old, her mother, and members of the Toronto District School Board held a highly-publicized press conference Friday, detailing the assault and describing the incident as a possible “hate crime.”

“These allegations were extremely serious and not surprisingly, they received national and international attention,” said a spokesperson for the Toronto police department.

“After a detailed investigation, police have determined that the events described in the original news release did not happen,” said their statement. “The investigation is concluded.”

Members of the school board released a brief statement on the incident, saying they are “very thankful that this assault did not in fact happen.”

Inside sources tell the CBC that the girl’s story fell-apart when investigators began probing the alleged assault, speaking with bystanders and sifting through closed-camera surveillance footage.

While law enforcement acknowledge it’s “very unusual” for an individual to make this sort of phony accusation, they confirmed the young girl will not face legal consequences.