Open letter to Premier Stephen McNeil
2
Dear Premier McNeil. W E A R E V IC T IMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE. A D V E R T I SE M E N T Bob: [email protected], Dale: [email protected], Alvi n: [email protected], Barry: [email protected], W eld on: wel5 41@h otm ail.co m W e ar e t he peo ple who wer e m oles ted and deg rade d and exposed to traumatic experiences from which we can never fully recover. We are the people who had to stand by silently as the wheels of justice ground slowly, fitfully onward and eventually crushed not the perpetrator of these actions, but the very victims who looked to the court system to provide justice. The pro sec uti on of ou r ab use r was so b otc hed that he was allowed to walk free. This province’s o wn report to the Att orne y General of Nov a Sc oti a c onfir med this. Going forward, your government ought to be commended for finally amending the Limitations to Actions such that there is no time limit on when victims of sexual abuse can sue their perpetrators. However, the amendment is terribly flawed in that it only applies to victims of sexual abuse if the abuse occurred after the date the act becomes law. THIS IS TER RIB L Y WRON G. Y our Jus tic e Minis ter , Lena Met lege Diab , in a n at tempt to explain why she would not amend the law to apply to all vic tims of sexual abu se sta ted : “To retroactively change the balance of different people’s rights, this is not something that’s been done in Canada. We have to ensure that not only does (legislation) balance the different rights of different individuals in the province, but that it’s also one that will likely withstand charter challenge.” Her statement is blatantly false and she knows it. Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario have all amended their laws so that there are no time limits. The Supr eme Cou rt o f C anad a h as alre ady defin itiv ely ruled limitation periods can be changed retroactively . In fact the Supreme Court of Canada speci fically stated that: “Retroactive statutes are in fact common.” Does it make any sense to you, Mr . Premier , that if we were abused in Newfoundland and Labrador or Saskatchewan or British Columbia or Ontario, we could sue our abuser, but as we were abused in Nova Scotia, we cannot? Y our fai lur e t o p rop erly ame nd t his Act only serves to protect historical sexual predators. Please amend this Act like the other provinces listed above so that all victims of sexual abuse can sue their perpetrators at any time - past, present or future. And if you ref use to do s o, ple ase tell us, and cou ntl ess other victims of past sexual abuse, why this government seems intent to protect sexual predators? Bob Martin, Dale Sutherland, Alvin MacInnis, Barry Sutherland, Jeff Hadley and Weldon Reynolds
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Published in the Chronicle Herald
Transcript of Open letter to Premier Stephen McNeil
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Dear Premier McNeil.WE ARE VICTIMS OF
SEXUAL ABUSE.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Bob: [email protected], Dale: [email protected], Alvin: [email protected], Barry: [email protected], Weldon: [email protected]
We are the people who were molested and degraded and exposed to traumatic experiences from which we can never fully recover. We are the people who had to stand by silently as the wheels of justice ground slowly, fi tfully onward and eventually crushed not the perpetrator of these actions, but the very victims who looked to the court system to provide justice.
The prosecution of our abuser was so botched that he was allowed to walk free. This provinces own report to the Attorney General of Nova Scotia confi rmed this.
Going forward, your government ought to be commended for fi nally amending the Limitations to Actions such that there is no time limit on when victims of sexual abuse can sue their perpetrators.
However, the amendment is terribly fl awed in that it only applies to victims of sexual abuse if the abuse occurred after the date the act becomes law. THIS IS TERRIBLY WRONG.
Your Justice Minister, Lena Metlege Diab, in an attempt to explain why she would not amend the law to apply to all victims of sexual abuse stated:
To retroactively change the balance of different peoples rights, this is not something thats been done in Canada. We have to ensure that not only does (legislation) balance the different rights of different individuals in the province, but that its also one that will likely withstand charter challenge.
Her statement is blatantly false and she knows it. Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario have all amended their laws so that there are no time limits.
The Supreme Court of Canada has already defi nitively ruled limitation periods can be changed retroactively. In fact the Supreme Court of Canada specifi cally stated that: Retroactive statutes are in fact common.
Does it make any sense to you, Mr. Premier, that if we were abused in Newfoundland and Labrador or Saskatchewan or British Columbia or Ontario, we could sue our abuser, but as we were abused in Nova Scotia, we cannot?
Your failure to properly amend this Act only serves to protect historical sexual predators.
Please amend this Act like the other provinces listed above so that all victims of sexual abuse can sue their perpetrators at any time - past, present or future.
And if you refuse to do so, please tell us, and countless other victims of past sexual abuse, why this government seems intent to protect sexual predators?
Bob Martin, Dale Sutherland, Alvin MacInnis, Barry Sutherland, Jeff Hadley and Weldon Reynolds
