Another Travesty of Justice

[TheNiteHwk]

Where do these judges come from?

I just have one question for this judge - If his 12yr old daughter had a few beers and then posssibly gave consent to a 26yr old man to have sex... would he not send that guy to jail?

Holy F**k man... I mean WTF? I can't believe this.

Click here to see what I'm steaming about:

http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/Spring 2004/CrimeSaskTrial.htm

 

[Questor]

Wow! That judgement is absolutely incredible. Man, if I was a member of that community, I'd be back of the courthouse in the middle of the night with a 5 gallon tank of gas and some matches. Well, maybe that is a little bit extreme. So I'd seek legal appeal first, but somehow I don't think that will get results. What a joke of a justice system. Deeply imbedded racism to be sure.

 

[happygrump]

...the two attempted to have sex, but Edmondson could not obtain an erection. The other two men also attempted to have sex with the girl but failed as well.

and

the girl got into the men's truck willingly, lied about her age and drank beer

Tough call, IMO. No argument that the sentence was too light, but keep in mind that no penetration took place (the fellows were probably too loaded to perform) and the girl apparently was a willing participant.
She's the one that needs the help.

...family members and supporters of the now 14-year-old girl stormed out of the courtroom, shouting and accusing the court of racism

Characterizing a judge's decision as racist is the first refuge of the desperate. It does nothing to help the situation, but is simply emotional attempt at blackmail. God knows there is enough true racism on the planet, but this, to me, doesn't seem to be the case at all.

 

[healer677]

Unbelievable...

In light of all the interesting articles and events in the news lately. is this really a surprise? Disgusting - yes. Surprising - not really.

At this point in time, whatever idiotic sentences judges come up with; isn't the least bit surprising anymore.

 

[Morgan Ellis]

I swear, I'm about one more article away from going on a castration rampage.


-- Morgan

 

[superquad1968]

"Semen belonging to the girl's father was found on it. That evidence, said Kovatch, supported the defense theory that the girl may have been the sexual aggressor."

Probably the father was the first criminal.

There is also some value in having this case tried not in front of a judge but judge and jury or jury alone in a case like this. The defendant had the choice and tactically chose to be heard in front of a white judge. Maybe he shouldn't have had that choice. Let the cree's voice be heard. It wasn't by the judge.

It does make you wonder about our judges...

SQ

 

[superquad1968]

I swear, I'm about one more article away from going on a castration rampage.


-- Morgan

That may not be the best marketing plan But I do understand your frustration.

 

[TheNiteHwk]

I am so enraged... HELLO...She is 12 yrs old... WTF?

I have a couple more questions for this judge:

So the 12yr old girl was willing to get in the truck. How mature or smart is a 12 yr old girl to be able to make that decision?

So the 12 yr old girl sat on the guys lap and maybe (apparently because she was molested at home and is damaged goods) wanted to play. Does this excuse the 26 yr old male in any way shape or form to any degree?

Here’s a good one: Next time his (the judge’s) 12 yr old granddaughter or neighbor’s daughter comes over if she sits on his knee and then she fondles his balls… is he then going to try and have sex with her?

Why did these men in their mid 20’s give beer to a 12 yr old girl? Oh… excuse me if I presume that maybe they knew exactly what they were doing and they wanted to take advantage of her.

IMNSHO in this matter there is no reasonable excuse in the world to justify that in or under certain conditions we should let these guys of with a lighter sentence because – what? Maybe the 12 yr old girl wanted it and she seduced them? WTF?

She is 12 yrs old! HELLO!

 

[Jennifer_]

so um...

shouldn't someone be looking into what her father's semen was doing in her underwear?

I hate to admit it, (feminist that I am) but I think the judge made the best ruling that he could based on the brief summary of evidence presented in the article.

IMHO the community should be more outraged at her disgusting pig of a father.

 

[happygrump]

You're missing the point, people.

The girl is 12. She got into the truck willingly and *apparently* was something less than the epitome of innocence.

What happens to the fellows is of little concern to me. But if a 12-year old is making these sorts of judgements then she needs help.

I am in no way excusing the foul behaviour of the men involved, and I think they deserve whatever it is that they get. Shaming and banishment from the local Cree community would be a good place to start. But IMHO the judge should have delved deeper into the history of the girl and her family and either had her removed from an obviously terrible situation, or in the very least ordered professional help for her.

In short, it's not about the creeps, it's about the girl.

 

[Questor]

You're missing the point, people.

The girl is 12. She got into the truck willingly and *apparently* was something less than the epitome of innocence.

What happens to the fellows is of little concern to me. But if a 12-year old is making these sorts of judgements then she needs help.

I am in no way excusing the foul behaviour of the men involved, and I think they deserve whatever it is that they get. Shaming and banishment from the local Cree community would be a good place to start. But IMHO the judge should have delved deeper into the history of the girl and her family and either had her removed from an obviously terrible situation, or in the very least ordered professional help for her.

In short, it's not about the creeps, it's about the girl.

No Happygrump. I think YOU miss the point. Yes, undoubtedly the poor girl needs help. That is the Children's Aid Society's responsibility. And hopefully they will follow through with this case. Yes, the father should be strung up by the balls and tarred and feathered in the town square. But that is not the trial judge's responsibility. Hopefully, the crown attorney will lay charges. The judge's job is to nail that asshole to the cross for luring a disturbed little girl into his truck, plying her with beer and then attempting to rape her. End of story.

 

[superquad1968]

You're missing the point, people.

The girl is 12. She got into the truck willingly and *apparently* was something less than the epitome of innocence.

What happens to the fellows is of little concern to me. But if a 12-year old is making these sorts of judgements then she needs help.

I am in no way excusing the foul behaviour of the men involved, and I think they deserve whatever it is that they get. Shaming and banishment from the local Cree community would be a good place to start. But IMHO the judge should have delved deeper into the history of the girl and her family and either had her removed from an obviously terrible situation, or in the very least ordered professional help for her.

In short, it's not about the creeps, it's about the girl.

It seems to me that all are at some level culpable here.

 

[happygrump]

No Happygrump. I think YOU miss the point.

Fair enough. The point I was trying to make - and obviously I wasn't clear enough about it - is that the focus seems to be too much on the punishment of the men involved than it is about the future of a 12-year old girl.

I would be just as happy if the fellows were thrown in jail and forgotten about. Alas, what usually happens in cases like these is that the criminals get all the press and the victims are forgotten. Then "justice" turns into vengeance and retribution, and everybody loses.

How many people remember the names of the girls from St Catharines who were murdered by Bernardo and Holmolka? (quick hint: Neil Peart of Rush incorporated part of their story into one of Rush's songs called Nobody's Hero.

Does not the judge have both the right and obligation to order that the girl be removed from her current troubling situation?

 

[The Fruity Hare]

Thanks, Lynn. I was wondering the same thing. These guys were in the wrong, but she claimed to be older than she was, sitting outside a bar and then they found her father's semen in her underwear.
Did you or anyone else happen to catch the part where the father was charged with incest or sexual abuse? I seem to have missed that part.

 

[Jennifer_]

Did you or anyone else happen to catch the part where the father was charged with incest or sexual abuse? I seem to have missed that part.

yeah...I seem to have missed that part too...... Hey - I wonder if that would only create more controvercy - heaven forbid that the girl's Cree father get a harsher sentence than the "white boys"........

In my opinion he was at the root of this whole horrible situation.



When I was 12 years old I think I wore more makeup than I do now. I was the same height and almost fully developed as a woman. On average people always thought I was older than I was. It's an age where girls want to be more grown up than they are. This particular girl had solid life experience that potentially caused her to act much older than she was.

When a few drunk guys pick up a sexually aggressive girl hanging out infront of a bar - I cannot blame them for assuming she was much older than 12.

I'm not trying to minimize the seriousness of the situation - but based on the facts the judge's decision was just.