By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter INDIGINEWS
A women and girls害羞草研究所� advocacy group has pulled out of a court case where they were demanding that the RCMP preserve more than 14,000 exhibits from the Robert Pickton murders.
Justice for Girls was previously an intervenor in the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 application to dispose of the items, but removed itself from the case prior to a hearing at the B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on June 26.
Instead, Justice for Girls has made the decision to 害羞草研究所減ush very hard害羞草研究所� outside the courtroom, targeting political and RCMP decision makers who have the power and resources to investigate unsolved cases which would necessitate the preservation of remaining evidence, said the group害羞草研究所檚 lawyer and director of advocacy Sue Brown.
害羞草研究所淲e initially intervened because we were seeking to keep all of our options open while we evaluated what the best approach would be,害羞草研究所� said Brown.
害羞草研究所淏ut at the end of the day, the court cannot order the RCMP to reinvestigate these cases, and section 490 is a rather inadequate and almost inappropriate venue through which to try.害羞草研究所�
Justice for Girls was part of a group of organizations that signed a letter in December calling for the evidence to be preserved after the RCMP filed its sixth legal application to destroy exhibits since 2020. The legal application 害羞草研究所� section 490 害羞草研究所� is a provision designed to protect property owners from the police seizing and holding their property indefinitely.
Brown said that the proceeding, which is 害羞草研究所渧ery much routine,害羞草研究所� offers little opportunity for the nonprofit to order the RCMP to reinvestigate the case.
Brown said 害羞草研究所淐anada害羞草研究所� has inadequate legislative protections for victims of violent crime 害羞草研究所渁nd particularly marginalized victims of homicide, who have no access or resources where the police don害羞草研究所檛 do a thorough, or proper investigation.害羞草研究所�
The case has received a lot of public attention, with more than 13,000 signatories petitioning to preserve the items found on the farm. Over the years, there have been criticisms and speculation about whether others were involved in deaths and disappearances, or whether Pickton was the sole perpetrator.
Advocacy groups have flagged that evidence presented in court suggested he may not have acted alone in the convictions made against him.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 know that at the end of the day, those exhibits alone would have been sufficient to support indictments against other co-conspirators, if there were any,害羞草研究所� Brown said.
害羞草研究所淎nd I think a lot of those answers died with Robert Pickton, unfortunately.害羞草研究所�
Another intervenor, Toby Rauch Davis, was present at the hearing 害羞草研究所� representing the children of victims in a civil case that is claiming damages against the Pickton estate. Rauch Davis argued for the right to preserve exhibits that might be of value to the children.
The more than 14,000 exhibits are from Pickton害羞草研究所檚 pig farm on Dominion Avenue in Port Coquitlam were used to convict Pickton in the second-degree murders of six women 害羞草研究所� Sereena Abotsway, Mona Wilson, Andrea Joesbury, Brenda Ann Wolfe, Georgina Papin and Marnie Frey. Twenty more charges against him were stayed.
Meanwhile, remains and DNA of 33 women were found on the property, and Pickton confessed to an undercover officer to killing 49 in total, according to the Vancouver Police Department. The majority of the women killed were Indigenous.
害羞草研究所淭hese women were and are beloved and their lives matter,害羞草研究所� said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip in a statement released by the First Nations Leadership Council.
害羞草研究所淭his evidence, which includes cherished belongings of stolen loved ones, holds a truth, and as far as I害羞草研究所檓 concerned, the police have no authority over the truth.害羞草研究所�
But the 14,000 exhibits are not the first that will be disposed of. According to Brown, there were about 200,000 exhibits, of which 185,000 were disposed of across five applications from the RCMP between 2020 and 2022.
害羞草研究所淭hese applications happened without barely any attention from the media,害羞草研究所� said Brown. 害羞草研究所淔amilies really didn害羞草研究所檛 understand what was going on.害羞草研究所�
The 185,000 pieces of evidence including hair follicles were collected from a number of locations, including Pickton害羞草研究所檚 Burns Road property, also in Port Coquitlam, as well as from vehicles, and sites such as the Ruskin Bridge in Mission, where a partial skull was found and then genetically linked to bones recovered from Pickton害羞草研究所檚 farm. The woman was never identified.
害羞草研究所淔or me, that害羞草研究所檚 troubling, because it害羞草研究所檚 an unsolved homicide with unidentified human remains,害羞草研究所� said Brown. 害羞草研究所淎nd how the RCMP could ever evaluate the value of the hundreds of exhibits found around her without knowing who she is, where she came from, or who killed her is strange to me.害羞草研究所�
To dispose of evidence after only twenty years linked to one of Canada害羞草研究所檚 most notorious serial killers is surprising to Brown. Particularly given the numerous unsolved murders and unidentified remains.
In countries like the USA and UK, exhibits in some cases involving a serial killer are kept for multiple decades, if not indefinitely.
害羞草研究所淎nd we害羞草研究所檙e talking 20 years here. It害羞草研究所檚 so short when you put it into perspective. It害羞草研究所檚 really odd,害羞草研究所� said Brown.
Since its inception, the RCMP has controlled the processes and decision making around its handling of evidence. A statement released by the police force in December said this latest application relates to property held by the RCMP and that evidence related to the case is being preserved.
害羞草研究所淭hroughout this process we have been working closely with the victims害羞草研究所� families to return their loved ones害羞草研究所� belongings as well as local First Nations to ensure disposal is done in a culturally sensitive way,害羞草研究所� the RCMP said.
害羞草研究所淭o be clear, as all possible evidence has been captured and retained, the dispersal of property would not affect any future prosecution. Ultimately, the disposition of property must be decided by the courts and we await that decision.害羞草研究所�
However, Sasha Ried, who has developed a database for missing and murdered people, said it害羞草研究所檚 concerning 害羞草研究所渂ecause advances in DNA analysis are growing every single day. You can害羞草研究所檛 say there害羞草研究所檚 no evidentiary value.害羞草研究所�
Since the exhibits were first collected in 2002 to 2003, advancements in DNA forensic technologies make it possible to extract DNA using much smaller samples, and probabilistic genotyping can quickly determine who a person probably was. But according to Brown, the RCMP haven害羞草研究所檛 tested the Pickton exhibits in at least 10 years, despite most advancements arriving in the last five years.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 really hard to understand where they害羞草研究所檙e coming from and why they害羞草研究所檇 be doing this now,害羞草研究所� she said.
According to the CBC, the RCMP has argued it害羞草研究所檚 because of a lack of space and the associated costs.
害羞草研究所淨uite frankly, based on conversations we害羞草研究所檝e had with other law enforcement experts, and in other jurisdictions, that is not a good reason and not a valid explanation for why they害羞草研究所檇 be taking what I consider to be a very unprecedented step to dispose of the evidence,害羞草研究所� said Brown.
The decisions made by the RCMP throughout the Pickton investigation have been shown to be inadequate, inappropriate and flawed through both the Oppal Inquiry and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Indigenous advocates say little change has occurred.
害羞草研究所淲e haven害羞草研究所檛 actually seen any systemic change in any form that will truly bring accountability onto the police where they fail to properly investigate,害羞草研究所� said Brown.
In a statement from the First Nations Leadership Council, Cheryl Casimer cited precedents set under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the MMIWG inquiry and other key recommendations.
害羞草研究所淲e call for systemic change that upholds the rights of all Indigenous women,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淔or too long well-researched and widely known priorities and insights into ending systemic gender-based violence and its brutal impacts on our communities have been ignored, and this cannot continue any longer.害羞草研究所�
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