PITT MEADOWS (NEWS1130) - A young woman who claims she was sexually assaulted at a rave in Pitt Meadows in 2010 says she is disappointed that the only person to be charged with sexual assault has had that charge
stayed.
"There is no doubt in my mind that what happened to me on the night of September 11 [2010] was a sexual assault," said the young woman, who cannot be identified.
Sitting beside her father at a news conference in Pitt Meadows, the woman read from a prepared statement, imploring anyone who saw or heard anything to call police.
"There is still evidence out there and it could be what we need to make this case a go," she said. "But due to the code of silence it's still out there somewhere. Someone saw something, heard something, anything. And it's still out there.
"No matter how small and insignificant you may think it is, please, please, please come forward," she said.
Her father also pleaded with potential witnesses to come forward.
"Don't be afraid from peer pressure," he said. "There are several ways to come forward anonymously with information."
On Tuesday, the Crown announced there wasn't enough evidence to proceed with a sexual assault charge against 19-year Colton Ashton McMorris. His trial was supposed to start on February 26.
RCMP say the girl was drugged and assaulted while others took photos, some of which ended up online. Mounties claimed about seven men took part in the incident but McMorris was the only person to be charged with sexual assault.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen was asked why police pushed the case so hard in the first place.
"We maintain then and we maintain now there was more than one individual involved. I can't go beyond that, as to why we believe that then and why we believe that now," he said.
"There were charges laid as a result of the package that was forwarded, based on the evidence that we had. However, between that point and the stay of proceedings, other things have occurred, which I can't get into, which resulted in a stay of proceedings," Thiessen said.
He adds police are still searching for more evidence and have one year to submit any more they find to the Crown to try to get a charge laid again since it was stayed, not dropped.
Earlier this month a teenager, who can't be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, admitted to recording the suspected assault on his BlackBerry. He was given 12 months probation. Dennis John Allen Warrington is charged with making child pornography and intending to distribute it. His trial is scheduled for September.
Women's group outraged
Women Against Violence Against Women Rape Crisis Centre Executive Director Irene Elhaimer echoed the victim's disgust with the Crown's decision.
"It's a disgrace," she said.
She thinks the Crown's decision indicates that the justice system continues to support what she calls rape culture.
"This is a clear message that, 'beware: if you report sexual assault, you will have a very good chance of not being believed,' and that's why we see that women aren't reporting sexual assaults," she said.
She said the stay of charges also sends the wrong message to the young men suspected of being involved.
"Young men are given messages from other men in power, and so when a Crown prosecutor stays the charges, the message that goes out to young men is that they are also supported in their actions."
She says only six per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police, and only a fraction of those reports lead to jail time.
Information and resources for victims of sexual assault and violence can be found on the organization's website.