'Justice for Rehtaeh' supporters cheer province's response to 375,000 signatures on petition.
from Change.org
HALIFAX, NS April 15 2013 — Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter announced today that he would do what more than 375,000 others from around the world have been asking him to do: call an independent review of the Rehtaeh Parsons investigation that resulted in no charges.
“The province committed today, April 15, to an independent review of the actions of police and the Public Prosecution Service in the Rehtaeh Parson's case,” reads a news release issued by the Premier's Office today. It will begin as soon as the new phase of the investigation — which it was announced Friday would be reopened because of new evidence — is concluded.
“People everywhere feel connected to Rehtaeh and understand the need for change, because rape culture and bullying are part of their reality too," said Sherri Bain, who started the petition.
While Bain was pleased to hear the investigation would be reopened, she maintained that an independent look at the previous investigation is necessary.
“We spoke, and they listened,” Bain proclaimed after learning of the decision from officials in the Premier’s Office. “This has been a week of sorrow, shock, frustration and a growing call for change. I am proud of my government for doing the right thing. I had lost faith in them and their version of justice. Today I can begin to believe that the voice of the people matters, that justice matters, that Rehtaeh matters.”
Dexter’s announcement comes after Sherri’s petition gained hundreds of thousands of supporters on the strength of its viral spread throughout the world. “Change.org has been the vehicle that allowed this petition to grow, and now it’s become global,” Bain said. “People everywhere feel connected to Rehtaeh and understand the need for change, because rape culture and bullying are part of their reality too. This would not have been possible without them and all the people who support change or, most recently, demanded it. I am eternally grateful to them and to Change.org.”
Bain, a friend of the Parsons family, launched her widely shared petition asking Dexter to call the review because she could never understand how police were unable to find actionable evidence given the information that emerged following the alleged assault. “Everyone knows what happened,” she wrote on her petition page. “How can police say they didn't have the evidence they needed to pursue charges? Do we not have laws that cover this kind of abuse?
These are precisely the type of questions Bain expects to finally have answered. “I’m hopeful that an independent review will result in a clear understanding of how we failed Rehtaeh,” Bain said today, “so that we don't have to attend the funeral of another young girl lost to suicide because of bullying or rape.”
Live signature totals from Sherri's petition
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