A judicial stay of proceedings has been made in the sexual-assault case connected to Because We Are Girls, prompting one of three sisters profiled in the new documentary movie to send a four-minute video message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
A Surrey-area family is the focus of the film, which debuted in May and documents the abuse of three sisters who grew up in Williams Lake decades ago.
Cloverdale resident Jeeti Pooni reacts to the court decision in a video posted to her social media channels Tuesday.
The movie chronicles the sisters香蕉视频直播� account of childhood abuse.
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香蕉视频直播淢y sisters and I chose to go through the criminal justice system to try and stop our abuser from harming other girls,香蕉视频直播� Pooni says in the video. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a 12-year journey. All I can say is the criminal justice system is so broken 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 a broken, dinosaur system.
香蕉视频直播淵esterday, a very important decision came down in our ,香蕉视频直播� she says.
香蕉视频直播淥ur case was stayed, meaning the charges were dropped, there will be no sentencing, even though our abuser was found guilty last year, April 6, 2018, for four out of six counts,香蕉视频直播� including two counts of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent.
On Monday, a judge ruled that excessive court delays prevented the accused, Manjit Singh Virk, from getting a fair trial.
In the video posted to social media, Pooni says she doesn香蕉视频直播檛 blame those who 香蕉视频直播渄on香蕉视频直播檛 come forward, those that have been horrifically harmed by rape and sexual assault. I don香蕉视频直播檛 blame them for staying silent.香蕉视频直播�
She says going through the justice 香蕉视频直播渕ade my sisters and I feel, at the time, that we were unworthy, we didn香蕉视频直播檛 matter, we were very disrespected, humiliated, and the process was very dehumanizing and extremely traumatizing, and it re-traumatized us over and over again over the past eight years the court has been trying our case.香蕉视频直播�
She calls on Crown Counsel to appeal the decision, and for an inquiry into the case 香蕉视频直播渢o help answer questions of all the wrongs, of all the delays that were offered to defense, all the adjournments, countless adjournments, that left my sisters and I shattered, time and time again.香蕉视频直播�
She asks to 香蕉视频直播渟it down香蕉视频直播� with Trudeau, 香蕉视频直播渟o that you and your government can help enable those of us that have been harmed, and those of us who have been violated, help us live better, prosperous lives.
香蕉视频直播淲e need special sexual-assault courts that deal with crimes of rape and these heinous violations,香蕉视频直播� she adds.
香蕉视频直播淲e Canadians, even those of us who have been harmed, deserve a better justice system.香蕉视频直播�
Three years in the making, the Baljit Sangra-directed Because We Are Girls had its world premiere during Toronto香蕉视频直播檚 Hot Docs film festival in early May, and days later opened the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver.
The movie reveals how the girls felt they couldn香蕉视频直播檛 tell anyone about the abuse, for fear of 香蕉视频直播渂eing shipped off to India香蕉视频直播� and being shunned for what happened.
香蕉视频直播淭he biggest advantage he had was he knew we香蕉视频直播檇 keep our mouths shut,香蕉视频直播� one of the sisters says of the accused, whose identity is kept out of the film.
香蕉视频直播淎ny mention of him, there was no place in the film, no need,香蕉视频直播� Jeeti told the Now-Leader in April. 香蕉视频直播淎t the time the film was being shot, the court case was proceeding, so there were things we couldn香蕉视频直播檛 share, but now that it香蕉视频直播檚 all wrapping up, I think the important thing is that this story is not about him, it香蕉视频直播檚 about the resilience of my sisters and I, and stepping into our power and standing up for ourselves and sharing our truth, no matter if we香蕉视频直播檙e believed or not.
香蕉视频直播淭he story is more about that, and also when you see my daughters in the film, that香蕉视频直播檚 when it should really hit home that my sisters and I were once little girls just like that, right. It香蕉视频直播檚 to show that innocence and wake up the community to stop blaming the girls and the women.香蕉视频直播�
On Thursday, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced that its film, Because We Are Girls, will play at Vancouver香蕉视频直播檚 Vancity Theatre between July 5 and 11, for five screenings. .
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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