By: 250News
Thursday, October 11, 2007 11:19 AM
Prince George, B.C. - The RCMP will provide an update tomorow on their review of the murders and disappearances of women along Highway 16.
The cases were given to a special review team nearly 18 months ago following the Highway of Tears symposium in Prince George. While there have been no arrests or charges laid in connection with the review, additional cases have been added to the files, expanding the investigation beyond the Highway 16 corridor. Cases as far south as Kamloops have been added to the review.
Sgt. Pierre Lemaitre will be providing a general update on the overall investigative review.
Copyright © 2005-2007 OPINION 250 News Inc.
Highway of Tears
www.highwayoftears.ca/
Thursday, October 11
Wednesday, October 10
Trial judge reminds Pickton jury of its duty
ROBERT MATAS
Globe and Mail Update
October 10, 2007
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — Mr. Justice James Williams was clearly disturbed by the unexpected turn of events at Robert Pickton's first-degree-murder trial.
After more than eight months of testimony from 124 witnesses, allegations surfaced that a juror might have broken the rules and talked about the case, contrary to the judge's instructions at the beginning of the trial.
In a sombre tone yesterday, Judge Williams spoke to the jurors about the allegations. He told the 12-member jury that he conducted “the necessary inquiry” into the allegations.
“I'm satisfied we can continue as we are, that is, with this jury of 12 persons,” he told the seven men and five women in the jury box. “That's the end of the matter.”
The judge, who is responsible for protecting the integrity of the trial process, also issued a stern reminder to the jurors to stick to the rule book.
“A lot of what being a juror entails is not entirely consistent with how we live our lives,” Judge Williams said. “There are rules that have to be followed, and I'm counting on all of you to follow those rules. In that way, we can be confident that this case is tried fairly.”
As he reviewed the rules, some jurors nodded in agreement. Members of the jury, including the juror who was the subject of the allegation, cannot be identified in the media under provisions of the Criminal Code. Mr. Pickton appeared to listen intently to the judge's words.
Quoting from his opening instructions to the jury in January, Judge Williams said jurors could discuss the case among themselves in the jury room as the trial proceeded. But they should not reach any conclusions until they have heard all the evidence.
“There is a danger in forming an opinion when you know only part of the evidence. You may well be mistaken in the preliminary opinion you reach, without listening to all evidence that bears on the matter, and later on, you may find it difficult to change your mind if you have already indicated your view on the matter to your fellow jurors,” he said.
Judge Williams also warned jurors to be wary of family, friends and colleagues who ask them about jury duty or the case. He instructed them to refuse to give out information about the case, or to ask for comments or advice from outsiders.
“The key to this trial working properly is impartiality,” Judge Williams said. “Impartiality means you keep your minds open, listen to the evidence and consider everything that should be considered. At that point, you make your decision.”
Later, the jury heard testimony from the 28th defence witness, Gordon Cochrane, an expert in assessment and achievement testing. Reading from Mr. Pickton's elementary school records, Mr. Cochrane told the jury that Mr. Pickton, who is now 57 years old, repeated grade two.
He was placed in a special education class in September, 1959, at the age of nine. The records showed he continued to be registered in school until September, 1964. Mr. Cochrane said he did not know when Mr. Pickton's formal schooling ended.
Mr. Pickton took an achievement test in June, 1964, that showed he was performing as if he was in the third month of grade five. He was in his ninth year of schooling.
His reading score was equivalent to the fourth month of grade four; his mathematic score was equivalent to the fifth month of grade five, Mr. Cochrane said.
Mr. Pickton's scores on standardized tests were similar from 1962 to 1964, indicating he had “plateaued,” Mr. Cochrane said. His scholastic achievement was quite low in comparison to that of his peer group, he said. “He was falling further and further behind, and in the last three years, he seemed to be no longer progressing,” Mr. Cochrane said.
Defence lawyers have told the jury that they should consider Mr. Pickton's level of intelligence when reviewing statements he made to police after he was arrested. Crown prosecutor Mike Petrie is expected to cross examine Mr. Cochrane today.
© Copyright 2007 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.
Globe and Mail
www.theglobeandmail.com/national/
Globe and Mail Update
October 10, 2007
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — Mr. Justice James Williams was clearly disturbed by the unexpected turn of events at Robert Pickton's first-degree-murder trial.
After more than eight months of testimony from 124 witnesses, allegations surfaced that a juror might have broken the rules and talked about the case, contrary to the judge's instructions at the beginning of the trial.
In a sombre tone yesterday, Judge Williams spoke to the jurors about the allegations. He told the 12-member jury that he conducted “the necessary inquiry” into the allegations.
“I'm satisfied we can continue as we are, that is, with this jury of 12 persons,” he told the seven men and five women in the jury box. “That's the end of the matter.”
The judge, who is responsible for protecting the integrity of the trial process, also issued a stern reminder to the jurors to stick to the rule book.
“A lot of what being a juror entails is not entirely consistent with how we live our lives,” Judge Williams said. “There are rules that have to be followed, and I'm counting on all of you to follow those rules. In that way, we can be confident that this case is tried fairly.”
As he reviewed the rules, some jurors nodded in agreement. Members of the jury, including the juror who was the subject of the allegation, cannot be identified in the media under provisions of the Criminal Code. Mr. Pickton appeared to listen intently to the judge's words.
Quoting from his opening instructions to the jury in January, Judge Williams said jurors could discuss the case among themselves in the jury room as the trial proceeded. But they should not reach any conclusions until they have heard all the evidence.
“There is a danger in forming an opinion when you know only part of the evidence. You may well be mistaken in the preliminary opinion you reach, without listening to all evidence that bears on the matter, and later on, you may find it difficult to change your mind if you have already indicated your view on the matter to your fellow jurors,” he said.
Judge Williams also warned jurors to be wary of family, friends and colleagues who ask them about jury duty or the case. He instructed them to refuse to give out information about the case, or to ask for comments or advice from outsiders.
“The key to this trial working properly is impartiality,” Judge Williams said. “Impartiality means you keep your minds open, listen to the evidence and consider everything that should be considered. At that point, you make your decision.”
Later, the jury heard testimony from the 28th defence witness, Gordon Cochrane, an expert in assessment and achievement testing. Reading from Mr. Pickton's elementary school records, Mr. Cochrane told the jury that Mr. Pickton, who is now 57 years old, repeated grade two.
He was placed in a special education class in September, 1959, at the age of nine. The records showed he continued to be registered in school until September, 1964. Mr. Cochrane said he did not know when Mr. Pickton's formal schooling ended.
Mr. Pickton took an achievement test in June, 1964, that showed he was performing as if he was in the third month of grade five. He was in his ninth year of schooling.
His reading score was equivalent to the fourth month of grade four; his mathematic score was equivalent to the fifth month of grade five, Mr. Cochrane said.
Mr. Pickton's scores on standardized tests were similar from 1962 to 1964, indicating he had “plateaued,” Mr. Cochrane said. His scholastic achievement was quite low in comparison to that of his peer group, he said. “He was falling further and further behind, and in the last three years, he seemed to be no longer progressing,” Mr. Cochrane said.
Defence lawyers have told the jury that they should consider Mr. Pickton's level of intelligence when reviewing statements he made to police after he was arrested. Crown prosecutor Mike Petrie is expected to cross examine Mr. Cochrane today.
© Copyright 2007 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc.
Globe and Mail
www.theglobeandmail.com/national/
Saturday, October 6
Stolen Sister: Profiles of violence and descrimination against Indigenous women in Canada
October 4, 2007 - Parliament Hill, Ottawa Canada
No one knows exactly how many Indigenous women have been murdered or gone missing in Canada over the past three decades. Because of gaps and inconsistencies in the way that the identities of victims of crime are recorded and made public in Canada, that question simply cannot be answered. However, we do know with certainty that the marginalization of Indigenous women in Canadian society has led to an extremely high risk of violence.
According to a 1996 Canadian government statistic, Indigenous women between the ages of 25 and 44 with status under the federal Indian Act are five times more likely than other women of the same age to die as the result of violence. [1] In the process of preparing the Stolen Sisters report, and in the three years that have followed its release, Amnesty International has spoken with countless Indigenous activists, frontline service provides, police officers, court workers and family and friends of missing and murdered women. All have confirmed that in their own experience Indigenous women in Canada face a greatly increased risk of violence in their daily lives.
Deep rooted patterns of racism and discrimination in Canadian society have contributed to this violence in a number of ways. These include pushing Indigenous women into situations of increased vulnerability to violence, denying many Indigenous women adequate protection of police and the justice system, and sending a message to Indigenous and non-Indigenous men alike that they can likely get away with acts of violence against Indigenous women.
Amnesty International’s research has focused on one often overlooked dimension of Indigenous women’s experience of violence: the violence that takes place in urban settings or the lives of women moving between reserves and urban settings. The following stories of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada illustrate some of the common themes that have emerged in the course of this research.
In some instances, the women were targeted by strangers. In other cases, they were the victims of intimate acquaintances. In some cases, police failed to do everything they should have to ensure an immediate and thorough investigation. In others, family members praised police for their efforts. But in every instance, society as a whole could have and should have done more to recognize and reduce the risk of violence and to ensure that justice was done.
Some of these stories are of Indigenous women who have gone missing or been killed while working in the sex trade. There can be no doubt that all women in the sex trade face a greatly increased risk of violence. In the Stolen Sisters report we detail some of the economic pressures that have led to a large number of Indigenous women deciding to take this risk in order to provide for themselves and their families.
It is also clear from these stories that all Indigenous women – whether or not they have ever had involvement with what police and politicians sometimes label “high risk lifestyles” – may be targeted for violence or denied protection from violence simply because they are Indigenous women. The 1991 Manitoba Justice Inquiry concluded that racism and sexism intersect in dangerous stereotypes of Indigenous women as sexually “available” to men. The Inquiry said of the murder of Helen Betty Osborne:
Her attackers seemed to be operating on the assumption that Aboriginal women were promiscuous and open to enticement through alcohol or violence. It is evident that the men who abducted Osborne believed that young Aboriginal women were objects with no human value beyond sexual gratification.[2]
Amnesty International believes the same objectification of Indigenous women has been a factor in the targeting of other women whose stories follow below, in the failure of police to respond adequately to their disappearance or in the silent complicity of members of the public who knew of the attacks but failed to come forward to police.
All of these dimensions of violence against Indigenous women give rise to serious human rights concerns. Governments in Canada have an obligation both to address the underlying factors of marginalization and impoverishment that place so many Indigenous women in harms way, as well as to take all reasonable measures to prevent and to prosecute attacks on women. The first story that follows, a murder that was carried out more than thirty years ago and which resulted in a provincial inquiry, is a stark reminder of the need for public pressure to hold governments accountable for meeting these obligations.
[1] Aboriginal Women: A Demographic, Social and Economic Profile, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Summer 1996. It is important to note that this figure compares women with status to all other women, including Inuit, Metis and non-status First Nations women. As a result, it may well underestimate the extent to which Indigenous women are at risk.
[2] Report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba: The Deaths of Helen Betty Osborne and John Joseph Harper, Commissioners A.C. Hamilton and C.M. Sinclair, 1991.
Campaigner / Country Coordinator Profile
will the Canadian government finally recognize the real dangers faced by Indigenous women?" says family spokesperson Darlene Osborne "Families like mine all
For more information on this topic, please contact mailto:person@amnesty.ca
Vigil - Parliament Hill - slideshow - Oct 4, 2007
Friday, October 5
Murdered, missing women remembered
Pamela Cowan
Leader-Post
Leader-Post
Friday, October 05, 2007
As the names of murdered and missing Saskatchewan women were read in Victoria Park on Thursday night, lanterns were placed in a circle around a tree to remember them.
"Don't forget," implored Lori Whiteman. "Don't forget that these women are missing. Don't forget this issue. All of these women have names. They were born with a gift and with a purpose and some never had that opportunity so let's not forget about them."
Whiteman, whose mother disappeared years ago, belongs to the Saskatchewan Sisters in Spirit -- a group of families who have missing loved ones and who gather to support each other. They organized the candlelight vigil with the Native Women's Association of Canada, Amnesty International and Luther College at the University of Regina.
"Every time we go out and do something like this we have more support from the community," Whiteman said. "The more people that are organizing and coming together around this common issue the more we can raise awareness and find healing and hopefully good solutions."
As Naomi Ryder and Tristine Ryder from Standing Buffalo First Nation held candles they remembered their cousin, Amber Redman, who went missing in 2005.
"This is really close to my heart," Naomi said. "We need more events like this going on throughout the country so people will understand and do something about it."
Tristine added: "It's good to speak out for the women who can't be here."
"As a non-aboriginal person I think it's really critical to be here to support this issue," said Cheryl Stadnichuk. "The violence against aboriginal women is so profound and it's because of the legacy of colonization in this country. We must stop this violence."
Brenda Anderson from the Department of Women's Studies and Religious Studies at the University of Regina told those at the vigil that an international conference to address the issue will be held in Regina Aug. 15 to 17.
"We intend to bring family members of missing women from Mexico to meet with the family members of missing women in Saskatchewan," Anderson said. "This is an important project to begin to piece together why this happens and what we're going to do about it. We want to integrate academics, activists, organizations that work on the street and police, policy makers -- the whole community to look at it more holistically."
Two new U of R courses will explore the disappearance and killings of Aboriginal women in an international context. The winter course will look at patterns in Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, Peru and Australia as well as sex trafficking.
"We'll have family members speak to the students -- we'll tell the stories first and then begin to understand the theory and then what do you do about it," Anderson said.
Students enrolled in a three-week course offered in May will travel to Mexico to meet with family members of missing women.
The large crowd attending the vigil at Victoria Park was among hundreds of similar vigils in 30 Canadian communities and in Colombia and Peru.
Oct. 4 marks the third anniversary of the Stolen Sisters report by Amnesty International. Since the report was released little progress has been made to address the serious human rights issue, said Gordon Barnes, a local Amnesty International volunteer.
"The Native Women's Association has received some federal government support to do research in this area -- that is helpful and it's acknowledged but our concern is that there is no comprehensive national strategy to deal with the murder and disappearance of aboriginal women," he said.
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007
Thursday, October 4
Native group sponsors vigils to underline plight of aboriginal women
Canadian Press
October 3, 2007
OTTAWA - More than 30 vigils were held Thursday across the country to denounce a continuing epidemic of violence against aboriginal women.
Beverley Jacobs of the Native Women's Association of Canada urged governments and police forces to craft national strategies as the ranks of the murdered and missing continue to grow.
"Innocent women are being stolen from us every week as families are shattered and friendships lost," Jacobs told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
"It's time for all women and men to say: No more."
Jacobs is midway through a five-year Sisters in Spirit campaign to build a database of cases and raise awareness. She estimates that at least 500 native women and girls have vanished or been killed in the last 30 years.
Sandra Gagnon's sister Janet Henry disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside ten years ago.
Gagnon last saw her on June 25, 1997 when Henry said goodbye with: "I love you and I miss you much." It was a reference to one of Henry's favourite Janet Jackson songs.
Henry was 37, the mother of a daughter, and a cherished sister who used drugs and sometimes worked in the sex trade. Her disappearance is unsolved.
Gagnon recalled Thursday how slowly police initially responded to reports her sister and other women were disappearing.
"We need to keep this campaign going so we can get help to bring awareness and be acknowledged," she said. "The missing women were loved. They were somebody's daughter, mom, auntie, and best friend."
In the most notorious case involving women from Vancouver's troubled downtown, Robert Pickton is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Mona Wilson, Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe, Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey and Andrea Joesbury.
He is to face a second trial at a later date on an additional 20 counts of first-degree murder. At least 41 other women are still missing from the Downtown Eastside.
Janet Henry is not among the women Pickton is accused of killing.
Jacobs says the "epidemic of violence" against native women should be confronted as "a national outrage."
Victims are abused and murdered in appalling numbers, she says, and governments cannot turn a blind eye.
Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, says there has been little formal action since the release, three years ago, of a damning report called Stolen Sisters, which documented the magnitude of the problem.
"This cannot go on," he said. "Indigenous women can not keep coming to Ottawa pleading for the safety of their granddaughters, their daughters, their sisters.
"It's time for comprehensive, national action."
Copyright © 2007 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Canadian Press
www.cp.org/
Native Women's Association of Canada
www.nwac-hq.org/en/index.html
I'm not going to give up
www.missingpeople.net/imnotgoingtogiveup.htm
October 3, 2007
OTTAWA - More than 30 vigils were held Thursday across the country to denounce a continuing epidemic of violence against aboriginal women.
Beverley Jacobs of the Native Women's Association of Canada urged governments and police forces to craft national strategies as the ranks of the murdered and missing continue to grow.
"Innocent women are being stolen from us every week as families are shattered and friendships lost," Jacobs told a news conference on Parliament Hill.
"It's time for all women and men to say: No more."
Jacobs is midway through a five-year Sisters in Spirit campaign to build a database of cases and raise awareness. She estimates that at least 500 native women and girls have vanished or been killed in the last 30 years.
Sandra Gagnon's sister Janet Henry disappeared from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside ten years ago.
Gagnon last saw her on June 25, 1997 when Henry said goodbye with: "I love you and I miss you much." It was a reference to one of Henry's favourite Janet Jackson songs.
Henry was 37, the mother of a daughter, and a cherished sister who used drugs and sometimes worked in the sex trade. Her disappearance is unsolved.
Gagnon recalled Thursday how slowly police initially responded to reports her sister and other women were disappearing.
"We need to keep this campaign going so we can get help to bring awareness and be acknowledged," she said. "The missing women were loved. They were somebody's daughter, mom, auntie, and best friend."
In the most notorious case involving women from Vancouver's troubled downtown, Robert Pickton is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Mona Wilson, Georgina Papin, Brenda Wolfe, Sereena Abotsway, Marnie Frey and Andrea Joesbury.
He is to face a second trial at a later date on an additional 20 counts of first-degree murder. At least 41 other women are still missing from the Downtown Eastside.
Janet Henry is not among the women Pickton is accused of killing.
Jacobs says the "epidemic of violence" against native women should be confronted as "a national outrage."
Victims are abused and murdered in appalling numbers, she says, and governments cannot turn a blind eye.
Alex Neve, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada, says there has been little formal action since the release, three years ago, of a damning report called Stolen Sisters, which documented the magnitude of the problem.
"This cannot go on," he said. "Indigenous women can not keep coming to Ottawa pleading for the safety of their granddaughters, their daughters, their sisters.
"It's time for comprehensive, national action."
Copyright © 2007 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Canadian Press
www.cp.org/
Native Women's Association of Canada
www.nwac-hq.org/en/index.html
I'm not going to give up
www.missingpeople.net/imnotgoingtogiveup.htm
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