Two children hurt after corrosive substance placed on public toilet seats in Baden, Ont. park

Two young children were hurt after a corrosive substance that police believe came from batteries was deliberately placed on toilet seats inside a public washroom in Baden, Ont.

Investigators believe the toilet seats at Sir Adam Beck Community Park were tampered with sometime between Saturday, May 6 and Monday, May 8.

They’re looking for leads after two children, aged three and six, were injured using the public washroom.

“It is quite concerning,” Waterloo regional police Const. André Johnson said. “I know the families of these young children were quite distressed at what had occurred, and again, we do believe that this was intentional.”

Johnson said after a visit to the doctor, the children will be OK, but police are looking for any dashcam video or other evidence to help identify a suspect.

“You know, I think this goes beyond just your vandalism, some graffiti and stuff like that. This is quite serious, and we are treating it as such,” Johnson said.

Park groundskeeper Don “Cubby” Culbert says damage and vandalism at the park are commonplace.

“Graffiti is unbelievable over here. I don't know how many times Wilmot staff has been over here, toilets are destroyed,” Culbert said. “They'll take hand dispensers – the soap dispensers – tear them off the wall, throw them out the door.”

He says the latest incident is discouraging but not surprising.

“Of all the damage that's been over here over the years, on top of the rooves, on top of the batting cages, top of the backstops, the washrooms over here at the picnic shelter what they do and that is no surprise whatever goes on over here,” he said.

“It's multiple choice, I think, whatever their choice is for that day, that's how it goes.”

Wilmot Mayor Natasha Salonen was not available for an interview Friday but provided this statement to CTV News: "There was an incident involving potential vandalism in one of the township's park facilities. The matter was reported to police and it is an ongoing investigation."

There don’t appear to be cameras in the park.