Advocates for alleged victims of British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton say they remain focused on getting justice for the women, as Pickton lies in a Quebec hospital in a coma after being attacked in prison.

Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of Vancouver-based Battered Women害羞草研究所檚 Support Services, reflected on the weekend assault that left Pickton with what police called life-threatening injuries, saying 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 something to be said about jailhouse justice.害羞草研究所�

But regardless of his fate, she said the fight on behalf of the women Pickton was accused of killing continues.

She said that includes a legal application opposing an RCMP bid to destroy about 14,000 pieces of evidence collected in the Pickton investigation.

There are also multiple ongoing lawsuits by family members of victims against Pickton and his brother, David Pickton.

Jason Gratl, the lawyer representing family members of victims in nine lawsuits against the brothers, said the potential death of the killer would have no bearing on proceedings.

害羞草研究所淩obert William Pickton害羞草研究所檚 state of health or well-being 害羞草研究所� I don害羞草研究所檛 anticipate it will have any significant effect on the progress of the civil trial,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview Thursday.

害羞草研究所淏ased on his self-published book, 害羞草研究所楾he Fall Guy,害羞草研究所� I didn害羞草研究所檛 anticipate that he would have any constructive contribution to make at the trial.害羞草研究所�

Pickton was convicted in 2007 on six counts of second-degree murder of six women, but is suspected of killing many more who went missing from Vancouver害羞草研究所檚 Downtown Eastside.

He bragged to an undercover officer of killing 49 women and the remains or DNA of 33 women, many of them taken from the Downtown Eastside, were found on Pickton害羞草研究所檚 pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Police in Quebec said Thursday that Pickton, who was attacked Sunday at the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution, was in a medically induced coma but that doctors planned to try to wake him soon.

Gratl said a bigger issue than whether Pickton survives is the potential destruction of the evidence.

害羞草研究所淚 act as legal counsel for 16 children of nine women who were killed by Robert Pickton,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 in their interest to preserve the evidence seized by the RCMP on the Pickton farm to allow my clients to prove that Robert Pickton and David Pickton caused them to suffer loss.害羞草研究所�

In 2014, the botched investigation into Pickton resulted in a settlement of $50,000 for the victims害羞草研究所� children who had sued all three levels of government and the RCMP.

MacDougall害羞草研究所檚 group is a signatory to a letter to the B.C. government calling for the exhibits to be preserved.

害羞草研究所淚t has an element of profound and deep significance because it is a representation of all those women and those families that did not receive justice through the criminal system,害羞草研究所� she said of the evidence.

About four years ago, B.C. Mounties applied to dispose of the material found at a Ruskin, B.C., property linked to Pickton. It is now being held at RCMP warehouses.

Items range from pieces of clothing, shoes and hairpins 害羞草研究所� including one with hair still in it 害羞草研究所� to a sex toy and a rusty .303-calibre bolt-action rifle.

The RCMP has argued that the items were taking up substantial space and continued to run up costs. It said the evidence in question had been captured and retained and would not affect future prosecution.

In an email, RCMP Staff Sgt. Kris Clark confirmed that the application to destroy it remained before the courts and the process was ongoing.

The letter opposing the destruction of that evidence, sent to the provincial government on Dec. 11 by the groups Justice for Girls and the Missing/Murdered Database, and endorsed by dozens of organizations and individuals, spoke to the damage that would be done to the families seeking justice.

害羞草研究所淭wenty of the charges against Pickton were stayed, and have not yet resulted in any convictions,害羞草研究所� it said. 害羞草研究所淔or the families of those victims, justice has been elusive and they still hold hope that one day they will know what happened to their loved ones.害羞草研究所�

In another argument for the preservation, the letter said statements by the defence, Crown and jury also 害羞草研究所渟trongly suggest a shared belief that he did not act alone and others may be implicated in the deaths of the six women Robert Pickton was convicted of killing.害羞草研究所�

Gratl echoed this.

害羞草研究所淚n addition to my client害羞草研究所檚 more narrow interests, there are a number of community organizations that oppose the destruction of evidence on the basis that the investigation into who killed the women on the Pickton farm should not be concluded because Robert Pickton likely had accomplices,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭he destruction of evidence seized by the RCMP would preclude a meaningful investigation (of) accomplices and would certainly preclude any prosecution.害羞草研究所�

The Vancouver Rape Relief & Women害羞草研究所檚 Shelter is also among those calling for a halt to the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 disposal plan.

Hilla Kerner, a spokeswoman for the shelter, said the destruction of the evidence and Pickton害羞草研究所檚 potential death could mean no justice at all for those whose deaths did not result in a conviction.

害羞草研究所淭here is never ultimate justice, but in so many cases, there is no justice at all,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淥ur debt to the women who lost their lives, our debt to their families, our debt to the women who are now entrenched in homelessness, in poverty, in drug addiction 害羞草研究所� the province did not pay this debt.害羞草研究所�

She said femicide is a 害羞草研究所渟taggering problem害羞草研究所� in B.C. and across Canada, and Pickton害羞草研究所檚 case showcased this.

害羞草研究所淭he Pickton story 害羞草研究所� the tragic, horrific stories of its victims 害羞草研究所� is a story about terrible male violence, but also terrible, terrible state abandonment of the women who were killed, and I害羞草研究所檓 afraid we害羞草研究所檙e not better off yet.害羞草研究所�

Lydia Hwitsum, director at BC First Nations Justice Council, said the handling of the Pickton case also puts a spotlight on issues facing the Indigenous community.

害羞草研究所淣ot much has changed to improve outcomes for Indigenous women害羞草研究所檚 safety害羞草研究所� in the years since Pickton was convicted, she said in an interview.

Hwitsum also called for the preservation of evidence.

害羞草研究所淭he pathway to justice has not been reached for so many that have been harmed at the hands of Pickton,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭he evidence that害羞草研究所檚 there speaks to what our people have gone through and it is critical to hold onto that.害羞草研究所�

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