When a former Vancouver Police constable testified at the criminal trial of a colleague who sexually assaulted her, she says she knew it could ruin her career.
The woman, who can香蕉视频直播檛 be named due to a publication ban, found out months after the May 2021 trial that text messages detailing her testimony were circulating among fellow officers, casting doubt on her story and whether the case could be proven.
香蕉视频直播淚 struggled to put into words to describe just how devastating those were,香蕉视频直播� she said in an interview. 香蕉视频直播淭hey were unbelievable.香蕉视频直播�
She filed a complaint with the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner against the officer believed to have authored the texts, but it was found 香蕉视频直播渦nsubstantiated.香蕉视频直播�
Now, another officer who distributed the texts to Vancouver police has been found to have committed 香蕉视频直播渄iscreditable conduct香蕉视频直播� by sharing the 香蕉视频直播渄isrespectful香蕉视频直播� commentary on her court testimony.
The decision against Narinder Dosanjh, authored by now-retired New Westminster police chief Dave Jansen, was obtained by The Canadian Press and includes the running commentary on the woman香蕉视频直播檚 testimony 香蕉视频直播� apparently written by someone inside the courtroom.
It called her a 香蕉视频直播渂ad drunk香蕉视频直播� and said there was 香蕉视频直播渘o way香蕉视频直播� her case would be proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jansen said his decision accounted for his experience with a police culture of treating officers who testify against each other as 香蕉视频直播渞ats.香蕉视频直播�
Former Vancouver constable Jagraj Roger Berar was convicted in 2021 and sentenced to a year in jail for sexually assaulting the officer, who said the police department never treated her as 香蕉视频直播渁 victim of crime.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚 have never been treated as a victim of harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying in that workplace,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 have never been treated as anything except a problem that might tarnish their reputation.香蕉视频直播�
Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision, dated Oct. 11, said that the commentary in a Vancouver police group chat appeared 香蕉视频直播渟upportive香蕉视频直播� of Berar and reflected 香蕉视频直播渁ll-too-common myths香蕉视频直播� about women who make sexual assault allegations.
While Jansen found Dosanjh committed discreditable conduct by sharing the chats, the complaint against a more-senior Vancouver officer who was inside the courtroom, and who the victim and other officers believed wrote the commentary, were not substantiated.
Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision said he would accept submissions before deciding how Dosanjh should be reprimanded.
The woman who was assaulted was the complainant in the disciplinary investigation, and said in an interview she felt 香蕉视频直播渧indicated香蕉视频直播� by Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision because it 香蕉视频直播渢ruly paints what I香蕉视频直播檝e been through,香蕉视频直播� after reporting a fellow officer for sexual assault.
香蕉视频直播淭hey think I香蕉视频直播檓 a bad drunk. They thought of me exactly what people thought of women coming forward in the 70s and the 80s and 90s and all of that. It香蕉视频直播檚 all victim shaming, all of it, and I thought, 香蕉视频直播榟ow dare you? You know me.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
She said many other women in municipal policing fear speaking out about ill-treatment at work, and some have told her about being assaulted and harassed but feared ruining their careers if they complained.
香蕉视频直播淭his decision is important for those women to see,香蕉视频直播� said the woman, who is still in policing but with another agency. 香蕉视频直播淚t shows the tides are changing. Like, this is the first win I香蕉视频直播檝e had.香蕉视频直播�
A spokesman for the Surrey Police Service, where Dosanjh now works, did not immediately answer a question about how he was penalized, and said Dosanjh declined an interview request with The Canadian Press.
In his decision, Jansen said there was an 香蕉视频直播渦nfortunate but often pervasive香蕉视频直播� culture of treating officers who complain as 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈rats香蕉视频直播�, who betrayed their colleagues.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚n terms of the messages themselves, Sergeant Dosanjh alleges that they are not degrading, humiliating or derogatory and do not attack the personal character of the complainant. I disagree,香蕉视频直播� Jansen wrote.
The decision includes a screenshot of the commentary about the complainant, who said the order of the messages appeared to refer to her evidence while she was being cross-examined and suggested the comments were written by someone listening to her testimony.
The commentary in the chat group on the Signal messaging app said the victim 香蕉视频直播渨ore a wire twice,香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渁dmitted in cross to possibly drinking way more alcohol than she originally claimed.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淗er memory is super hazy and there香蕉视频直播檚 no way you can prove beyond reasonable doubt,香蕉视频直播� the person wrote.
香蕉视频直播淎nd she admitted that she is a really bad drunk,香蕉视频直播� they added.
Another message said it was a 香蕉视频直播渘ail in the coffin香蕉视频直播� of the case that video showed the complainant 香蕉视频直播渃uddling, holding hands香蕉视频直播� with Berar.
The woman, who became aware of the commentary when a friend in the department showed them to her, was distressed by the messages and disputed their accuracy, said Jansen.
香蕉视频直播淭he comments also appear to reflect some of the all-too-common myths around women making allegations of sexual assault. Some of these myths include the belief that because a victim socialized with the perpetrator, or engaged in some consensual activity with him, therefore she must have consented to the assault,香蕉视频直播� he wrote.
Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision said Dosanjh shared the messages with a fellow officer after getting them from a 香蕉视频直播淰PD chat group that he claims he knew little about, from a co-worker he claims not to be able to identify.香蕉视频直播�
The decision said other officers believed the commentary was written by a more-senior officer in the department who had been present at the trial, but Jansen said the discreditable conduct complaint against that person was unsubstantiated.
The decision said Dosanjh claimed he was the 香蕉视频直播渇all guy香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渁 pawn in a broader game.香蕉视频直播�
Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision said Dosanjh was a senior officer and supervisor who was aware of the 香蕉视频直播渧ulnerability of victims of sexual crimes and of the myths that surround sexual assault victims.香蕉视频直播�
It said Dosanjh香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渄istribution of these messages that were disrespectful of an alleged victim of sexual violence who was also a co-worker, should they become public, would likely discredit the reputation of the police force.香蕉视频直播�
The Vancouver Police Department did not provide comment on Jansen香蕉视频直播檚 decision.
