COPYRIGHT OWNED EMAIL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE THE MATERIAL!
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY PERSONAL STORY IN READER'S DIGEST.
Why Holly's Fight to Stop Violence: My Personal experience changed my life forever.
This violent crime changed everyone who knew me personally, in many ways. Still, to this day, no one really knows how to talk to me about it.
WE HAVE TO STOP THE VIOLENCE
WE MUST FIGHT TO PREVENT VIOLENCE!
We need to educate and work together as a society to prevent violence.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN ABUSED, ASSAULTED, AND IS IN NEED OF HELP, PLEASE HELP - YOU MAY BE SAVING SOMEONE'S LIFE!
Sincerely Holly Desimone (blogging also at Fight For Justice)
Why Holly's Fight to Stop Violence?
Holly Desimone Speaking Out, video done by QuantumShift.tv
Holly's fight for Justice
A tragedy can turn out to be to our greatest good, if it is approached and dealt with in a way that we can learn and grow. The story of Holly Desimone illustrates just that as she reclaims her spirit and life as a survivor of sexual violence.
This is a personal message from Holly Desimone,
Holly's Fight to Stop Violence,
Thank you to everyone who watches this video, made posts/comments at Quantumshift.tv, the website.
Many individuals who have emailed me personally your in my thoughts each day. It truly has been a blessing and very thoughtful.
Sincerely Holly Desimone Sphere: Related Content
Courage in Patience Author Beth Fehlbaum gets ready for BOOK TOUR!
Holly's Fight to Stop Violence,
Beth is currently on book tour accross the United States. You can find all the book tour sites and details. Along with the first chapter of the book at her blog.
Personally, I suggest you buy the book and reading this touching story.
Thank you Beth for the interview! All the best from Holly Desimone.
Beth, you're a survivor, what would you like other survivors to know about your experience?
That I'm not unique. And I'm not perfect. And like a lot of them, I'm not whole [yet]. I don't know if I will ever overcome my past to the extent that its scars don't trip me up sometimes. Writing this book has forced me to come out of the shadows as a survivor. My publisher, Derek Armstrong of Kunati Books, and my editor, James McKinnon, have been very sensitive and respected that aspect of working with me. In fact, my author bio through the Publisher states that I drew on my experiences of working with abused children, to write this book. Well.. I have dealt with abused kids in my career as a teacher, but the main reason for attributing my knowledge of sexual abuse to my former students is that I wasn't yet ready to identify MYSELF as a survivor yet. I'm a naturally shy person, but I'm able to do that now. To say, "I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a family member."
That I'm not unique. And I'm not perfect. And like a lot of them, I'm not whole [yet]. I don't know if I will ever overcome my past to the extent that its scars don't trip me up sometimes. Writing this book has forced me to come out of the shadows as a survivor. My publisher, Derek Armstrong of Kunati Books, and my editor, James McKinnon, have been very sensitive and respected that aspect of working with me. In fact, my author bio through the Publisher states that I drew on my experiences of working with abused children, to write this book. Well.. I have dealt with abused kids in my career as a teacher, but the main reason for attributing my knowledge of sexual abuse to my former students is that I wasn't yet ready to identify MYSELF as a survivor yet. I'm a naturally shy person, but I'm able to do that now. To say, "I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a family member."
You know, I read an interview conducted with a person who is very prominent in the sexual abuse survivors' community-- and she said, "I'm over what happened to me. I've moved on." I thought, "Wow, could that really be true?" I hope so.
What is one of the ways you deal with press and answers questions about the book?
I set clear boundaries with respect to where I will go and where I won't. I will talk about the story and its themes; I emphasize HOPE as the ultimate message. I won't talk about my specific experiences as far as actual things that were done to me. It's not that I am ashamed of them; it's that I refuse to exploit specifics of what I went through for the purpose of getting press. It's not worth it.
How did your family and friends react to the book?
My husband, daughters and my brother are all very proud of me, as is my husband's family. I do not have contact with my extended family, so I do not know what their reactions are, or if they even know about it. My friends are also proud and excited.
What do you want readers to learn from this book?
I hope that people who have been abused or who love people who have suffered abuse will realize that what they are going through-- their pain and anger-- are very normal reactions to have to what happened. Ultimately, I hope that everyone who reads it will come away with a sense of "we're all in this together." The book deals not only with abuse but with other difficult topics, all of which force people to face their greatest fears and find out what they are made of. One of my nephews once asked me, "Does your book have a happy ending?" I replied, "It has a HOPEFUL ending."
Why did you decide to write the book?
I entered recovery for childhood sexual abuse almost four years ago. I have always written poetry and short stories as a way to process what I was going through in my life-- and it was natural for me to write my way through my grief and anger and shame. I shared what I had written with my therapist, and one day he suggested, "Why don't you try writing a novel?"
So… I did.
What do you hope can be done to help bring awareness to child abuse?
You know, I think people are aware that child abuse goes on-- it's the facing it, living in the light of truth, and dealing with its ugliness and consequences in a forthright, honest, authentic way, that cripples people. People I have loved in my life have been unable to do that-- to face the truth-- and ultimately the relationship could not survive. So.. I think that in order for child abuse to be eradicated, a commitment to honesty in all areas of people's lives is what is needed.
Who do you think could be done to help a child when they are not believed?
That's rough. My therapist told me when I started therapy that when a child tells a parent about sexual abuse and the child is believed, and the parent takes steps to protect the child from further abuse, gets the child into counseling, etc.-- that that is what makes all the difference in the world. He said, "You probably wouldn't be sitting here right now, if things had gone differently for you."
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of children being listened to. The damage that is done when the child is not believed-- or-- the child is perhaps believed but nothing happens as a result of "the telling"-- it's so incredibly damaging. In addition to the loss of innocence a child experiences when it's stolen by a perpetrator, there is the loss of trust. It just evaporates, and thereafter it is incredibly difficult for the child to trust ANYONE. Especially herself, her perceptions of herself as a valued, worthwhile human being-- and also her faith in her own grasp on reality.
Are you planning to do a newsletter with this book?
Not as of right now. Maybe you have some suggestions?
What does your next book have for readers that was not in your first book?
The sequel to Courage in Patience is called Hope in Patience.
What is one of the ways you deal with press and answers questions about the book?
I set clear boundaries with respect to where I will go and where I won't. I will talk about the story and its themes; I emphasize HOPE as the ultimate message. I won't talk about my specific experiences as far as actual things that were done to me. It's not that I am ashamed of them; it's that I refuse to exploit specifics of what I went through for the purpose of getting press. It's not worth it.
How did your family and friends react to the book?
My husband, daughters and my brother are all very proud of me, as is my husband's family. I do not have contact with my extended family, so I do not know what their reactions are, or if they even know about it. My friends are also proud and excited.
What do you want readers to learn from this book?
I hope that people who have been abused or who love people who have suffered abuse will realize that what they are going through-- their pain and anger-- are very normal reactions to have to what happened. Ultimately, I hope that everyone who reads it will come away with a sense of "we're all in this together." The book deals not only with abuse but with other difficult topics, all of which force people to face their greatest fears and find out what they are made of. One of my nephews once asked me, "Does your book have a happy ending?" I replied, "It has a HOPEFUL ending."
Why did you decide to write the book?
I entered recovery for childhood sexual abuse almost four years ago. I have always written poetry and short stories as a way to process what I was going through in my life-- and it was natural for me to write my way through my grief and anger and shame. I shared what I had written with my therapist, and one day he suggested, "Why don't you try writing a novel?"
So… I did.
What do you hope can be done to help bring awareness to child abuse?
You know, I think people are aware that child abuse goes on-- it's the facing it, living in the light of truth, and dealing with its ugliness and consequences in a forthright, honest, authentic way, that cripples people. People I have loved in my life have been unable to do that-- to face the truth-- and ultimately the relationship could not survive. So.. I think that in order for child abuse to be eradicated, a commitment to honesty in all areas of people's lives is what is needed.
Who do you think could be done to help a child when they are not believed?
That's rough. My therapist told me when I started therapy that when a child tells a parent about sexual abuse and the child is believed, and the parent takes steps to protect the child from further abuse, gets the child into counseling, etc.-- that that is what makes all the difference in the world. He said, "You probably wouldn't be sitting here right now, if things had gone differently for you."
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of children being listened to. The damage that is done when the child is not believed-- or-- the child is perhaps believed but nothing happens as a result of "the telling"-- it's so incredibly damaging. In addition to the loss of innocence a child experiences when it's stolen by a perpetrator, there is the loss of trust. It just evaporates, and thereafter it is incredibly difficult for the child to trust ANYONE. Especially herself, her perceptions of herself as a valued, worthwhile human being-- and also her faith in her own grasp on reality.
Are you planning to do a newsletter with this book?
Not as of right now. Maybe you have some suggestions?
What does your next book have for readers that was not in your first book?
The sequel to Courage in Patience is called Hope in Patience.
Ashley, the protagonist in the book, is dealing with her anger more-- and as always she is learning that she does not have a corner on the "life challenges" market. There will be a character in the book who is coming to grips with her sexuality, as well.
COURAGE IN PATIENCE by Beth Fehlbaum
More to come..........Courage in Patience
A story of hope for those who have endured abuse.
Beth Fehlbaum
Trade Paper 6x9” Pages 352 Fiction US$ 14.95 / CDN$ 15.95 ISBN 9781601641564
Desperate to escape from her stepfather, 14-year-old Ashley Asher finally finds the courage to confront her mother with the painful details of six years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. To her horror, Ashley’s mother turns her back on her. Only a teacher at her school offers any support.
A touching story focused on the themes of abuse, social injustice, racism, peer pressure, bullying, parental responsibility, fear, forgiveness, love, acceptance, and hope which will inspire the millions of abuse vicitims in America, young and old alike.
Suitable for classroom study. No graphic content.
“Courage in Patience is truly a great read and it provides a unique point of view and perspective of sexual abuse. It keeps the reader intrigued and wanting to read more. The title of the book could not be more appropriate as patience and courage are a huge part of recovery” —Alexis Moore, President, Survivors In Action
About the Author — Beth Fehlbaum
Beth Fehlbaum drew on her experience working with abused children as an English teacher in writing Courage in Patience. She wrote Courage in Patience to give hope to survivors of abuse. She is an English teacher with an M.Ed. and lives in East Texas.
AARON SHOULDERS WALK FOR JUSTICE FOR MURDER VICTIMS INTERNATIONAL
This from Holly's Fight to Stop Violence,
More information to come on the AARON SHOULDERS WALK FOR JUSTICE FOR MURDER VICTIMS INTERNATIONAL September 7, 2008 @ 2PM
In Calgary:
From NYLA (former) 1211 – 1 Street SW to THE NEW COURT HOUSE, back to NYLA NIGHTCLUB (former)
Purpose:
An awareness walk in honor of our Murdered Loved Ones
Families of Murder Victims NEED Remembrance, Justice, Accountability and Prevention
A platform to give a voice to families of Murder Victims
An outcry against lenient sentencing and lack of Justice
A protest against the escalating violence; especially against our youth
Please join us if you have personally been affected or Are you are tired of the violence in our City? Come out and walk for JUSTICE “Those who stand for nothing, fall for everything”
Because:
Calgary’s MURDER RATE has tripled since 2003!
Gang Violence is on the rise!
Violent criminals have NO deterrence!
Short and lenient sentences for Murderers means they are free to re-offend!
Nationally, more homicides are committed by knife Vs. Guns!
-Stats Canada October 2007-
Lastly.. Something has to change!
Contact: Steffi Stehwien, Founder & Organizer
Steffi Aaron's Mom forever brutally murdered @ 18
July 24, 1985 ~ September 1, 2003
http://www.aaronshoulders.ca
Margot Van Sluytman, Poet, Author of Sawbonna
This is a message from Holly's Fight to Stop Violence,
Holly Desimone has posted this with permission from Margot Van Sluytman. Please respect all copyrights.
We all have experienced different journeys as survivors of crime. Also just from our life experiences. Margot Van Sluytman and Glen Flett journey is very powerful one!
If you read below and check out Margot web site's you will see her work as a poet. Margot also has held several workshops about Expressive Writing and Healing!
It is a truly an amazing way to express the pain and healing! Margot's work is becoming know in many circles around the world. I had the honour to speak with her and will meet her soon. I also look forward to taking part in her workshops in the fall.
Sawbonna is South African for: 'I see your soul.'
~ ~ ~
Sawbonna
My soul sees your soul.
And our shared dancing,
Stretches to the very core
Of all that is possible.
All that is.
©Margot Van Sluytman
Margot Van Sluytman lives in Alberta, Canada. She recently was awarded the Scholarship Recipient to The Thomas Merton Institute for Contemplative Living.
Glenn Flett, who murdered her Father, Theodore Van Sluytman, March 27, 1978 contacted Margot. The connection shared by them both is one of forgiveness and healing!
What we usually referred to as Restorative Justice. As Margot states in this comment, "she was offered the gift of opportunity to dialogue with the human being who ended the life of a human being I loved so deeply."
This is such a powerful statement. With hope for many of us who may want to take part in a similar experience.
Restorative Justice, is a very personal journey for every individual. If you go check out Margot's site you will have insight into her journey.
Margot is a accomplished poet, and Expressive Writing Facilitator. She has written several poems which she has published in several books.
Her new book is called Sawbonna: I See You. Dialogue of Hope. For her new book, Howard Zehr, PhD has written the Foreword, and Sr. Helen Prejean, Dead Man Walking.
If you are interested in contacting Margot the information is below:
Margot Van Sluytman, Poet, Calgary, Alberta
Award Winning Expressive Writing Facilitator
Scholarship Recipient to The Thomas Merton Institute for Contemplative Living
Member of The National Association for Poetry Therapy
Member of the Society for Arts in Healthcare
http://www.margotvansluytman.com/
http://www.palabras-press.com/
http://www.dance-with-words.com/
to dance with words, is to be nourished~Margot Van Sluytman
Margot will be having a book launch for her new book. Look for a post about this event, a chance to meet her personally at the book launch.
Take care everyone .....
Thank you for taking the time to check out Margot Van Sluytman Websites.
Prevention program’s director says new approach is making some progress
Study: More sex assaults occur than reported
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/army_sexassault_090708w/
Prevention program’s director says new approach is making some progress
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer...Sunday Sep 7, 2008
The director of the Pentagon’s program to prevent and respond to sexual assault in the ranks is not surprised at a government investigation’s conclusion that far more rapes and other sexual assaults are being committed than reports indicate.
It’s one of the nation’s most underreported crimes, period, said Kaye Whitley, director of the Defense Department’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office.
But that doesn’t mean the data the Pentagon has been collecting since 2004 are meaningless.
“It does tell us something,” Whitley said in an Aug. 27 interview at her Rosslyn, Va., office.
“It does tell us they’re occurring, it tells us where, it tells us who. So it’s a start.
“Our civilian counterparts struggle with this as well. I mean, there’s no way of knowing how many are out there. But hopefully, what we will be doing is creating a climate so that people will feel comfortable with coming forward.”
The July 31 Government Accountability Office report also questioned other aspects of the military’s approach to sexual assault prevention and response, saying training programs lack consistent effectiveness; some local program coordinators are part-timers; some commanders do not support the program; and the Pentagon’s guidance suffers when applied to deployed and joint environments.
The GAO did note that the Pentagon “has taken positive steps to respond to congressional direction” and that the Coast Guard “on its own initiative has made similar progress.”
Whitley largely acknowledged the findings, saying she is glad to have the report “because it gives me the backing to get things done. But almost everything they recommended, we were doing something in the area anyway.”
Whitley had been expected to address GAO’s concerns at a July 31 congressional hearing.
But her boss, Michael Dominguez, the Pentagon’s No. 2 personnel official, declined to let her appear, although she had met previously with lawmakers and their staffs numerous times.
Whitley said that despite GAO’s concerns, and criticism by some lawmakers, the Pentagon’s program, launched in February 2004, is making headway.
“We think we have done an incredible amount in a very short time. But we’re also finding out there’s still a lot more to do.”
GAO visited 14 installations and found that 52 percent of service members who had been sexually assaulted over the preceding 12 months had not reported the assaults.
Whitley acknowledged that figure, but noted the Pentagon’s “restricted reporting” policy has benefited 1,896 service members who might otherwise not have been treated.
That policy, introduced in 2005, gives victims who are reluctant to report the crime the option of obtaining treatment and counseling without making a report.
Whitley also countered GAO’s criticism that training programs aren’t “consistently effective.”
“I don’t think anyone knows how to measure the effectiveness of a sexual assault prevention and assault program,” she said, adding that her researchers and outside experts are trying to grapple with that problem.
“If I say we have 2,900-and-something [assault] reports last year, you can’t make an assessment about good or bad or if that says anything,” she said. “If the numbers are high, did that mean there are a lot of rapes, or we have a good program so people are coming forward? If they’re low, does that mean … nobody’s getting raped? The numbers are what they are. All that tells us is the incidents.”
Whitley stressed the important role played by commanders, who can take judicial, nonjudicial and administrative action when an unrestricted report is made.
But “while most commanders support the program, some do not,” GAO said, noting that some have resisted posting information in barracks and work areas.
“There are two key people to making this work,” Whitley said. “That’s the SARC [Sexual Assault Response Coordinator] and the commander. If those people are not working together … then this program won’t work. You have to have the commander on board.”
One problem, she said, is that funding SARCs — there’s one at each installation — has been left to the services, which decide how to staff the positions.
Often, the result is making someone a SARC as a collateral duty.
One service has solved this: The Air Force has hired civilians at the GS-12 level to be full-time SARCs. “That’s very forward-thinking,” Whitley said.
Still, she’d like to see Congress create a separate funding stream. Money has been requested in the fiscal 2009 budget that would go far toward institutionalizing the program, she said.
Whitley’s office also is drafting a new prevention strategy that will expand the service concepts of “battle buddies,” “liberty buddies” and “wingmen” to foster an attitude of looking out for fellow service members who may be headed for trouble.
“If you see your buddy overdrinking with a young woman and they go off together, and she looks probably too drunk to be alone to make a decision, maybe you intervene,” Whitley said. “Or maybe it’s somebody you overhear who’s mixing drinks that taste like Kool-Aid in order to get a girl drinking ... don’t let him do that.”
The idea, she said, is “to get them aware, and not be a bystander, but to intervene.”
That could be asking a lot of young partiers. But Whitley noted that in years gone by, it would have been rare to demand the car keys of a friend who’d had one too many.
After more than 20 years of campaigning by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, it’s now fairly commonplace, she said.
“We’re talking about changing a climate,” Whitley said. “That’s going to take time. But we think this prevention strategy and this campaign is going to help us … to get people to start thinking differently about this.”
The Air Force already is training airmen to intervene when they see problems arising, Whitley said. But the broader Pentagon policy will not launch until October 2009 because the full campaign, including training materials, is still being crafted.
Also coming is the expansion of the restricted reporting option to National Guard and Reserve members. Current policy applies to reservists while on active duty, Whitley said.
But like any injury, they must sign a form affirming that the incident occurred on active duty in order to get care.
In cases of sexual assault, however, the service member’s restricted status is lost once the form is signed because someone in the chain of command would know what had happened.
Whitley’s office is working with reserve component officials and attorneys on a solution.
Todd Matthews, Wayne Leng and Kimberly Burklis do not contact me! Please know your on a prayer list!
This blog will keep Todd Matthews, Wayne Leng and Kimberly Burklis on the prayer list. Any of the families that have been affected by missing, murdered loved ones! It is the blog and families request that you do not visit this blog! It is my perference you stop contacting me!
UPDATES: The missing and murdered, do we have families being exploited by individuals? Yes, REALLY!
I personally received emails about J. Todd Matthews once again... to answer those emails...... UNDER ANY SITUATIONS IN NO WAY WOULD I PERSONALLY TRUST TODD MATTHEWS FROM THE
DOE NETWORK, http://www.doenetwork.org/
INVESTIGATIONS DISCOVERY, http://investigation.discovery.com/
TO ADD TO THIS MESSAGE...DAVID LOHR DO NOT BOTHER EMAILING ME!
DAVID LOHR http://www.davidlohr.net/ , http://www.blogger.com/profile/14086561399325358002
AS I STATED TO YOU IN MY RESPONSE TO YOUR EMAIL.....ASK TODD?
YOUR BUDDIES!! WHICH YOU STATED YOUR NOT, INTERESTING DAVID YOU SAID YOU HARDLY KNOW HIM!!... YOU BLOG TOGETHER? STRANGE DO YOU NOT THINK! http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/bios/lohr-bio.html BLOG BY TODD WITH DAVID LOHR, http://blogs.discovery.com/sleuth_truth/
Send Todd an email ... Ask him the question??? I would not be surprised if you and Todd have worked out your stories! Done your damage control David, about this!
What is he really doing?
SleuthTheTruth@gmail.com do not contact me and ask me David Lohr! It not very professional!
Email Me -- Todd Matthews j.toddmatthews@gmail.com,
Tent Girl...
http://www.tentgirl.com/
Project EDAN...
http://www.projectedan.us/
The Lost & Found Global Resource....
http://www.lfgrc.org/
Outpost for Hope
http://www.outpostforhope.org/
Four the Kids
http://www.fourthekids.org/
International Association for Identification
http://www.theiai.org
http://blogs.discovery.com/sleuth_truth
I have many families who have emailed me about Todd and his groups!! I have always stated please contact the police if you are involved in with his groups. That is one way the families who have contacted me, can truly have justice.
I can not trust someone who misleads families of missing and murdered loved ones. I can not trust someone who wants to profit from the families. I can forgive him for his sins, and misleading families. He can always email me. I do not think he will because in his eyes, Todd feels he has not done anything wrong!
The same for Wayne Leng, if you believe, please pray for Wayne. I added Wayne to the prayer list.... He does not believe in God...he feels his ways are the right way. He feels it is ok to be abusive to women.
Interesting Wayne Leng still exploits his friends! The murdered and missing women do truly deserve to rest in peace! He is still using her on different sites....like this one! With Todd Matthews! It in my opinion is really sick...the both of them should be ashamed.....check it out! http://renegade98.stumbleupon.com/
Kimberly Burklis still emails me, pray for her. She needs to find peace for her part in this mess. I truly wish she finds peace one day!
Pray for Glendene Grant she believes these people..it is a very sad story...it truly is very sad way to find Jessie Foster! A mother who believes in a group of people who only care about themselves! Truly very sad....and she will never find Jessie this way!
Three souls that have been misleaded and misguided.
Todd Matthews, Wayne Leng THINK they can find a missings LOVED ONES. Kimberly, offers websites. Together the in the opinion of many equal false hope for missing....taking advantage of the dead!! I was asked the other day if I would every TRUST TODD with the Doe Network, Wayne Leng, Kimberly.
MY ANSWER IS NOT IN MY LIFETIME, NEVER WOULD I TRUST THEM!
Women target recreation shooting as a pastime for stress relief and protection
Girls gunning for safety...Women target recreation shooting as a pastime for stress relief and protection By DOUG MCINTYRE AND KATIE SCHNEIDER, SUN MEDIA
Sisters are doing it for themselves, complete with a holster.
The owner of a Calgary shooting range says more and more women are purchasing guns and taking up target practice -- and violent crime on city streets is one of the reasons.
"Women, in general, are far more independent than they used to be and shooting is a very independent sport ... so because of that, it attracts a lot more women now," said J.R. Cox, owner of the Shooting Edge at 510 77 Ave. S.E.
"There are more women buying guns because more of them are living on their own and saying 'I want something in the house for protection.' "
Cox said the feminine portion of his clientele has surged from five to 30% in the last five years.
Crimes against women partially account for this increase, he said.
Cori Van Der Leest, 28, moved to Calgary from Taber three years ago and has worked at Shooting Edge the past two years.
"I do believe a lot of women here in Calgary are scared," she said.
"I would say in the last six months especially, I've seen more women come in here with their boyfriend or their spouse just for the added comfort."
Though carrying handguns for self-protection is prohibited in Canada, just being weapon-savvy adds an extra layer of comfort for women in the big city, she said.
Orlando Mancina, owner of International Tactical Training Academy in Calgary, said he has also noticed an increase of women in their 20s and 30s taking the Canadian Firearms Safety Course and buying guns to become more knowledgeable about the weapons.
"The key reason they do it is to be more aware of a firearm and to be comfortable around it -- I don't think it's primarily for self-defence," he said.
Const. Jeff Van Caeyzeele, with the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team, said any time anyone feels threatened, he or she should notify police rather than taking action with guns.
"We don't want citizens arming themselves for self-defence -- we don't want citizens taking matters into their own hands," he said.
There are numerous responsible Calgarians enjoying target practice for sport.
"As long as they are responsible with it, we don't have a problem," he said.
Van Der Leest said a little target practice is a great way to blow off steam.
"For me, shooting is kind of empowering -- it's a great stress reliever," she said.
Richard Doucet, an elementary teacher has 230 new child porn charges
230 new child porn charges for teacher, By Andy Blatchford, THE CANADIAN PRESS
MONTREAL - A Montreal teacher charged in the U.S. for allegedly soliciting sex from a 13-year-old boy is facing more than 200 new counts related to child pornography.
Richard Doucet, an elementary teacher at the elite Selwyn House private school, was arrested in May at a motel in Fredericksburg, Va.
The new accusations stem from images found on a compact disc that was seized by police from a motel room.
Det. John Chapman of Dumfries, Va., police said the 36-year-old has been indicted on 230 counts of possessing and reproducing child pornography.
Chapman said each felony carries a five-year mandatory prison sentence, which means Doucet could be sentenced to more than 1,000 years in jail if convicted on all counts.
"Down here in Virginia they take that very seriously," Chapman told The Canadian Press on Friday.
"Virginians are conservative people and they want to protect their kids. It's all about putting these guys away."
Chapman, who posed online as a 13-year-old boy, nabbed the mathematics and English teacher at a motel southwest of Washington D.C.
The detective alleges he had several sexually explicit Internet conversations with Doucet between December and May.
Doucet, who is married but has no children, had already been charged with several counts of attempting to take indecent liberties with a child and using electronic devices to solicit a child.
Police said Doucet allegedly arranged the meeting on his return from an education conference in Atlanta.
Chapman said he doesn't expect Virginia police to add more accusations against Doucet, who is incarcerated at Rappahannock Regional Jail.
In the coming weeks, Doucet is expected back in court where he will enter a plea, the veteran police officer said.
"If he pleads not guilty the prosecutor's office will ask for a jury trial, and wherever the chips fall is what he gets," Chapman said.
Selwyn House headmaster William Mitchell has said a routine background check on Doucet when he was hired in 1999 did not reveal a criminal record.
Mitchell has described Doucet as a "well-liked" teacher and a "valued colleague."
B.C. Appeal Court orders fourth trial in murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk
September 5, 2008, EDT.By Terri Theodore, THE CANADIAN PRESS
VANCOUVER - More than a decade after the beating death of 14-year-old Reena Virk in suburban Victoria shocked the nation, the legal odyssey of one of her accused killers continues after a B.C. Appeal Court overturned her conviction Friday and ordered a fourth trial.
Kelly Ellard has been convicted twice and sentenced to life in prison for taking part in killing Virk in November 1997; another trial ended in a hung jury.
Now the appeal court says Ellard, who was 15 at the time of the murder and is now at least 25, may face yet another trial after the judge at her third trial erred.
But Ellard's lawyer, Peter Wilson, said he has concerns about a fourth trial in the case.
"I have serious concerns about whether any coherent narrative can be obtained any longer from witnesses who, for the most part, were 13 and 14 years old and who witnessed these events 11 years ago and have been talking about it since," Wilson told The Canadian Press.
"After a while it's difficult for any of us to sort out what we truly remember from what we've heard and from what we've seen."
The Crown must decide whether to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada, to proceed with yet another trial or to abandon the prosecution altogether.
Stan Lowe, spokesman for the provincial Crown prosecutor's office, said officials are reviewing the judgment.
"Over the next few weeks we will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the decision and determine what the most appropriate course of action will be," he said.
Wilson said his client will remain behind bars for the time being, until the Crown makes a decision. The Crown has 30 days to file an appeal.
"I need to figure out where this is going," Wilson said.
Although they have attended every hearing and been very vocal in the past, Virk's parents, Manjit and Suman, did not return calls seeking comment Friday.
"I don't want to call it the justice system anymore. I'll call it the legal system," Manjit Virk said at the appeal court hearing in May.
But Robert Mulligan, who teaches law at the University of Victoria, said far from casting doubt on the credibility of the criminal justice system, the court's latest reversal should build confidence.
"The public should be comforted by the fact we have the appellant system" to protect against miscarriages of justice, he said.
The appeal hinged on the evidence of a witness at the third trial in 2005, who told the jury she watched Ellard follow Virk after she fled an earlier beating and walked over the Craigflower bridge on that night near Victoria. The witness was convicted in taking part in the earlier beating and cannot be named.
In the 60-page ruling, two of three judges supported the appeal, saying the trial judge erred in permitting the Crown to elicit further evidence from the witness and failed to properly instruct the jury about it.
"In addition, the history of this case suggests in light of the error, the verdict cannot stand safely," wrote Justice Edward Chiasson.
One of the three judges on the panel dissented.
Virk was swarmed on Nov. 14, 1997, and beaten by eight teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 - most of them girls.
The Crown alleges Ellard and her co-accused, Warren Glowatski, followed the teen after she staggered away, bloodied and alone.
Virk was last seen alive walking over the bridge. Despite rumours circulating among the high school crowd for more than a week, Virk's body wasn't found by police until Nov. 22, 1997, floating in the Gorge waterway.
Glowatski, who was also a teenager at the time of the killing, was convicted as an adult of second-degree murder. He served most of his sentence and was granted day parole last year.
Wilson argued at the Appeal Court hearing in May that the jury based its second-degree murder conviction on lies, rumours and inconsistent evidence.
But Crown lawyer John Gordon told the court the jury was aware of the poor credibility of witnesses, rampant teenage gossip and rumours - and convicted anyway.
Gordon conceded that the re-examination of the witness was "poorly done," but that it had no effect on the trial because the witnesses evidence wasn't centre to the Crown's case.
The appeal court disagreed with the Crown about the importance of the evidence.
"At the trial there was no issue that Ms. Virk, followed by Mr. Glowatski, crossed over the north end of the bridge," Frankel wrote in the decision. "However, what was very much in issue was whether Ms. Ellard accompanied Mr. Glowatski."
The jury asked to hear the witness's testimony again as they deliberated at the third trial, and Frankel noted that is a clear indication the jury viewed the evidence as significant.
In his dissenting reasons, Justice Richard Low said it was "inconceivable" that jurors didn't fully understand that their job was to assess the reliability of the witness and her evidence that she saw Ellard crossing the bridge after Virk.
He also questioned why Ellard's experienced defence counsel didn't object at trial.
Wilson said he spoke to Ellard on the phone Friday.
"She's pleased. Obviously, she's wondering what the next step is and I have to sort that out now," he said.
The Canadian Press, 2008
PERRY DUNLOP GETS 30 MORE DAYS IN JAIL!
PERRY DUNLOP GO AND TESTIFY AT THE CORNWALL PUBLIC INQUIRY!
WHAT COULD YOU BE HIDING BEHIND THE JAIL BARS? The real truth, that you have been keeping from the public..........that makes you a coward in my eyes.
SPEAK OUT FOR THE VICTIMS...
This from Holly Desimone,
My opinion's are in red....
How can anyone justify that this former police officer who does not want to testify? He is too weary!!!
In my opinion if Perry Dunlop is so weary...Why did he not get a medical assessment done on his emotional well being. He could have done that, presented it to the inquiry! Instead, Perry Dunlop makes the choice to have press and radical supporters at his home on the day he is arrested! I wonder WHY?
He was being held in a detention center in Toronto awaiting his fate. While his fate was decided on March 5, 2008.
PERRY DUNLOP WAS SENTENCED TO SIX MONTHS IN JAIL! He was convicted for civil contempt, he will serving his jail sentence in Ottawa. Once again, I am personally asking Mr. Dunlop to seek out medical treatment.
If he is not willing to do that, I still would ask him to appear before the Cornwall Public Inquiry.
This inquiry is very important. Perry Dunlop was so keen do have his own private investigation for several years.
What about the number of rapes and sexual violence going on in Canada? The inquiry was looking at the idea of a office for sexual violence, example Ombudsman! It may have been one of the inquiries recommendations.
Sexual violence in Canada, Perry does not care about sexual violence in Canada... He sits in a Protective Custody because of being a former police officer. If he did care he would have appeared before the Inquiry in Cornwall.
This is very important because the inquiry could bring forth recommendations to assist with sexual violence in Canada. The inquiry could help CORNWALL begin to heal from this dark cloud.
Do we not deserve to have a right to know the truth? Do we not have the right to see Perry Dunlop take the stand, tell the inquiry the truth?
The taxpayers do have this right in my opinion.
What do his actions say to Sex Offenders across this country?
In my opinion it still is sending the wrong message to sex offenders in Canada....
If I did not testify in my case who would have done that for me....better yet I should I have let Ali Rasai Walk FREE AND CONTINUE TO RAPE IN ALBERTA, CANADA, NORWAY, TURKEY, ...ALL THE COUNTRIES HE WAS RUNNING FROM!
What do we say to the next inquiry that is wanting to find the truth, maybe it could be an inquiry into my case. I would want the police to do more than say I do not want to testify?
Do you think any one who is sexual violated really wants to take the stand. Do you think, I wanted to be drilled on the stand by the lawyer who represented Ali Rasai, who was in this country on a false passport, raped three women?
A wanted fugitive... featured on America's Most Wanted.
Perry Dunlop was a former police officer who likely told many rape victims to take the stand? How do you think they must feel tonight when then read he does not want to take the stand?
THINK about what this is doing to the victims of sexual violence, who in so many cases never see a courtroom?
THINK of them, because it is my opinion Perry Dunlop is wrong in not taking the stand at this inquiry.
It is time to be a man and take the stand, and do the right thing for all of us who have been violated.
PERRY DUNLOP THE MAN OF COURAGE 2000 ETHICAL COURAGE AWARD WINNER... HOW ARE YOU BEING ETHICAL TODAY BY REMAINING IN JAIL UNTIL MARCH 5, 2008.
THINK ABOUT THAT, SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT HERE, I AM BEGINNING TO WONDER WHY DOES PERRY DUNLOP NOT TO TAKE THE STAND AT THIS INQUIRY?
2000 ETHICAL COURAGE AWARD WINNER
Mr. Perry Dunlop
British Columbia, Canada
Over the course of a distinguished law enforcement career which began in 1983, Constable Perry Dunlop worked in patrol, criminal investigations and the drug unit for the Cornwall, Ontario, Police Service. In recognition of his professionalism and courage, he was on two occasions chosen Cornwall Police Officer of the Year, once in 1987, and again in 1991.
In 1994, though, Constable Dunlop found himself in a very unfamiliar position, when he was charged with illegally revealing police information to a source outside his agency. Specifically, after learning of a case of reported child sexual abuse in which the alleged abuser was permitted to pay the victim a sum of money in lieu of criminal charges, Dunlop asked why his agency was not investigating the case or reporting the matter - as required - to the appropriate child protective authorities. Despite being cautioned to stay away from the case, Dunlop reported it to the Children's Aid Society; an act which resulted in disciplinary charges from his department. He was twice cleared of any wrongdoing, and a special task force eventually was formed to investigate allegations of widespread child sexual abuse.
Because of his outspoken stand against official silence and inertia, Perry Dunlop and his family were harassed and ostracized both in the community and within his police agency. In July, 2000, Perry Dunlop resigned from the Cornwall Police Service and moved with his wife and three children to western Canada.
On October 13, 2000, at the 9th Annual International Ethics Conference, Perry Dunlop received the Ethical Courage Award in recognition of his willingness to stand up for "the right thing," and for his unhesitating demonstration of character and integrity.
Sex assaults that leave victims pregnant can warrant tougher penalties, court rules By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
The California Supreme Court decides unanimously that such pregnancies may amount to 'great bodily injury,' and offenders can get a more severe sentence.
By Maura Dolan, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer August 29, 2008
A sexual assault that leaves a victim pregnant may be punished more severely than one that does not result in pregnancy, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday.
The state high court said a pregnancy may be considered "great bodily injury."
Read the court's ruling
"We conclude that here, based solely on the evidence of the pregnancy, the jury could reasonably have found that 13-year-old K. suffered a significant or substantial physical injury," Justice Joyce L. Kennard wrote for the court.
The court ruled in the Santa Clara County case of Gary W. Cross, who repeatedly had sexual intercourse with his 13-year-old stepdaughter while her mother worked. The teenager, identified as K., became pregnant, and Cross arranged for her to have an abortion. Because she was 5 1/2 months pregnant, the abortion was performed surgically.
The jurors at Cross' trial were told they could find that he personally inflicted "great bodily injury" on the girl as a result of her pregnancy or the abortion. The jury reached that finding, which mandated a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Without that verdict, the defendant would have received a more lenient sentence.
Cross appealed, arguing that a pregnancy without complications could not constitute a substantial injury, nor could an abortion he did not perform. The state high court agreed that the abortion was not an injury he personally inflicted but decided that the pregnancy could be considered a significant injury under the law.
The court cited a prosecutor's trial argument that the victim was "carrying a baby for 22 weeks . . . in a 13-year-old body." A DNA test on tissue samples from the fetus showed a 99.99% probability that Cross was the father.
Although the court ruled unanimously that the girl's pregnancy amounted to substantial harm, the justices were split 5 to 2 on whether to declare that every pregnancy stemming from sexual assault would amount to a great injury. The majority said that was a question for juries to decide based on the facts of a case.
Justice Carol A. Corrigan and Chief Justice Ronald M. George said the ruling should apply to all pregnancies that result from sexual assaults.
"A victim who is raped and made pregnant experiences a different degree of injury than the victim who is not impregnated," Corrigan wrote. "Because pregnancy must result in childbirth, miscarriage or abortion, its infliction during a sexual assault is, by definition, a substantial or significant injury."
The sexual assault of K. began in summer 2002, seven years after Cross married the victim's mother, the court said. Cross awoke K. in the middle of the night and told her to follow him to the master bedroom.
After having sexual intercourse with her, he threatened that if she told her mother she would be taken away by police and not allowed to see her family, the court said.
"Although K. occasionally objected to these sex acts, she was reluctant to do so for fear the defendant would not allow her to go out with her friends or would take away her cellphone," Kennard wrote.
After the abortion in December 2003, Cross resumed sexual activity with the girl until the following July, when the victim's mother came across paperwork from the abortion and summoned the police.
The jury found the sexual acts were not committed by force but still violated laws that prohibit sex with minors.
Stephen B. Bedrick, who represented Cross, said the court's decision means Cross will spend the rest of his life in prison because governors rarely grant parole to inmates with life terms. Without the finding of great bodily injury, Cross would have served 12 to 15 years, Bedrick said.
Great bodily injury results from a "knife stab, a gunshot," he said. "Most people I know who have children did not consider pregnancy an injury."
Deputy Atty. Gen. Michael D. O'Reilley, who argued the case for the prosecution, was unavailable for comment.
Florida Offender Alert System
Check out the Florida Sex Offender Website for more information...
Name: Michael Louis Ingram.
Status: Released.
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/flyer.do?personId=22456
Department of Corrections #: 980069
Search the Dept of Corrections Website. http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do
Michael Louis Ingram
Date Of Photo: 01/29/2008
Date of Birth: 04/07/1955
Aliases
Michael L Ingram, Michael Ingram
Email(s) & IM Name(s)
Scars, Marks & Tattoos
SCAR STOMACH:4 HORIZONTAL RT LOWER;
02/01/1996
SEX BATT/COERCE CHILD BY ADULT; F.S. 794.011(2)(b) (PRINCIPAL)
9414458
BREVARD, FL
Guilty/convict
02/01/1996
LEWD,LASCIVIOUS CHILD U/16; F.S. 800.04 (PRINCIPAL)
9414458
BREVARD, FL
Guilty/convict
Vice Versa: Amsterdam Cleans Up
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE By VIVIENNE WALT / AMSTERDAM
PUT ON THE RED LIGHT: Amsterdam's vibrant red-light district has long been one of the city's major tourist attractions
For Maurits Van Brunschot, the breaking point came nearly 21 years after he first settled amid the cobblestone alleyways of De Wallen, Amsterdam's red-light district. Van Brunschot began taking his infant daughter to day care. The neighborhood's public nursery was squeezed between two brothels, where nearly naked women in the windows beckon adult passersby. "Can you imagine this is what she sees every day?" says Van Brunschot, a food-company executive.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1836676,00.html
OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF CANADA!
I ALWAYS HAD TO LIVE WITH THE UNKNOWN IN MY CASE! I TRULY DO NOT WHY? ARE WHO IS BEHIND THIS! I CAN ONLY FOLLOW MY GUT FEELING THAT FEELING THAT SAYS IN NOT OVER! IT WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY LIFE. CHANGED MY YOUR LIFE FOREVER!
TO THE PRIVACY COMMISSIONER OF CANADA,
HERE IS ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS YOU MISSED IN REPLYING TO MY ACCESS FOR INFORMATION IN RESPECT THE THE NIVA PROGRAM ON JUNE 3, 2007 ....
ALMOST 13 MONTHS!
MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GOOGLE/YAHOO MY NAME. TO LOOK FOR MORE GOVERNENT DOCUMENTS WHICH YOU HAVE MISSED!
THIS PROVINCE HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF WOMEN MURDERED!! EVEN IN Witness Protection With Her Majesty The Queen! NIVA, New Identities For Victims of Abuse! I PERSONALLY LEFT WITHOUT RESOURCES! YESTERDAY FIVE PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE! MAYBE STOP THE LIP SERVICE AND SPEAK OUT! MAYBE HELP THE VICTIMS OF THIS SILENCE CRIME....HELP US! HELP THE WOMEN WHO SPEAK OUT! DO NOT LEAVE ONE BEHIND LIKE NIVA DID!!
This is from NIVA PROGRAM, New Identities for Victims of Abuse
If you read the document from
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN IN THE RIGHT OF ALBERTA, will terminate my protection.
After you look at that,
Read Number 3, "the assessment that was being conducted at the time you tendered your written withdrawal was not yet complete."
EVERYONE I WENT INTO WITNESS PROTECTION IN FALL OF 2000.
DO YOU THINK THE ASSESSMENT COULD BE FINISHED AFTER TWO YEARS OF LIVING IN TORTURE? NO IT IS THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA. WITH NO EXIT PROGRAM FOR NIVA CLIENTS.
THE BEST OF NUMBER TWO, FAILURE TO COMPLY MAY CONSTITUTE FRAUD. OMG!!
GIVE ME A BREAK A SERIAL RAPIST NAMED ALI RASAI IS LET INTO THIS COUNTRY, I TESTIFY FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA!
YOU MAY THINK I WOULD EVEN CONSIDER FRAUD. OMG!!
ON THAT NOTE NO WONDER YOU ASS***** NEVER FINISHED THE ASSESSMENT....
YOU NEVER DEPORTED THE SERIAL RAPIST ALI RASAI, FIGURING I WOULD BE TO SCARED TO LEAVE THE TORTURE OF WITNESS PROTECTION!
HELLO, LET'S JUST ADD ONE MORE NOTE HERE!! ALL SERVICES OFFERED WILL BE NOTIFIED THE POLICE, ETC. SEE THE LIST.
I GUESS THAT MEANS I WAS ON MY OWN EVEN WHILE I WAS IN THE PROGRAM!!
TO THIS DAY THE NIVA PROGRAM HAS NOT ASSISTED IN ANY WAY TO HELP, DO NOT PROVIDE ANY PROTECTION, RESOURCES, NOTHING!!
WE HAVE WOMEN LEAVING ABUSIVE SITUATIONS WITHOUT ANY HELP ARE RESOURCES IN CANADA!! SHAME OF THIS COUNTRY AND SHAME ON THE GOVERNMENTS FOR NOT HELPING....HOW MANY WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE BEEN MURDERED BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT NOT FUNDING PROGRAMS!
MAKES ME WONDER WHY I EVEN TESTIFIED.... FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA, CANADA.
ALI RASAI THE ILLEGALLY HERE FROM IRAN HAS MORE RIGHTS THAN I DO! NO WONDER HE IS A CONVICTED SERIAL RAPIST!
Thank you for EVERYTHING YOU DO TO HELP ME Government of Alberta!
I enjoy the time you wasted trying to figure out if I should be protected!
Sincerely Holly Desimone
Linda G. Mills, J.D., Ph.D., is Founder of the Center on Violence and Recovery at New York University
MORE TO COME ON THIS BOOK!
From the Publisher
A radical new take on the crisis of intimate abuse, Violent Partners argues that as a culture we misunderstand the root causes and basic effects of abuse, and until that changes there is no hope of fixing the problem. Dr. Linda Mills challenges assumptions, tears down myths, and offer solutions, all the while telling riveting stories of couples who have conquered violence in their relationships. In Violent Partners, she describes several programs that hold promise for addressing intimate abuse...
A radical new take on the crisis of intimate abuse, Violent Partners argues that as a culture we misunderstand the root causes and basic effects of abuse, and until that changes there is no hope of fixing the problem. Dr. Linda Mills challenges assumptions, tears down myths, and offer solutions, all the while telling riveting stories of couples who have conquered violence in their relationships. In Violent Partners, she describes several programs that hold promise for addressing intimate abuse, including two nationally known and groundbreaking treatment programs-Peacemaking Circles and Healing Circles. Controversial, provocative, and accessible, Violent Partners is unlike any other book on abuse and relationships, and highlights in great detail the complexities of violence through the stories of men and women who have acknowledged their abuse and sought to do something about it. This is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand violence in their own relationship, friends and family members of victims and abusers, and legal and mental health practitioners looking for a new and valuable approach to treating couples in crisis.
About the Author
Linda G. Mills, J.D., Ph.D., is Founder of the Center on Violence and Recovery at New York University, where she is also a Professor and Senior Vice Provost. She has appeared on “Oprah,” Bill Moyers’s “Now,” and “The O’Reilly Factor” and has been featured in the Boston Globe, the New York Times Magazine, and more. Her op-eds have appeared in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday. She lives in New York City.
About the Author
Linda G. Mills, J.D., Ph.D., is Founder of the Center on Violence and Recovery at New York University, where she is also a Professor and Senior Vice Provost. She has appeared on “Oprah,” Bill Moyers’s “Now,” and “The O’Reilly Factor” and has been featured in the Boston Globe, the New York Times Magazine, and more. Her op-eds have appeared in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Newsday. She lives in New York City.
CHECK OUT LINDA'S WEBSITE AT http://www.violentpartners.com/index.html
Nellie Cornman Flickinger By M.S. Enkoji
Colusa can't ID skeletal remains as missing woman By M.S. Enkoji
The exhumed remains of an unidentified woman found 26 years ago alongside Interstate 5 in Colusa County cannot be identified as a missing 30- year-old mother of five, Colusa County authorities said.
The family of Nellie Cornman Flickinger believed the remains were hers. They haven't seen Flickinger since 1979, when she left her children with their grandmother in Erie, Pa., and took off for California, promising that she would return.
DNA tests done by the California Department of Justice could not produce a satisfactory DNA profile, Colusa County authorities said.
"There's no more they can do," said Joni Lapeyrouse, a niece of Flickinger.
Lapeyrouse, who lives in Florida, had found the possible match through the Doe Network, a Web-based clearinghouse of missing people and unidentified bodies.
Family members suspected the remains found in Colusa County could be Flickinger's because they included surgical plates in one of the legs.
Flickinger had similar plates in her leg because of a motorcycle injury, but no medical records exist of her treatment. Flickinger also did not have dental records to compare to the remains.
Colusa County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Kevin Wheeler said the remains had degraded too much for a definitive DNA comparison. When the body was found in a ditch, it was skeletal. No cause of death could be determined.
"We have to assume she was a homicide victim," Wheeler said.
Flickinger left Pennsylvania with a man on a motorcycle, possibly a military man, but the family has no name.
Wheeler said the unidentified remains will not be buried immediately.
Lapeyrouse said she is checking to see if the Center for Human Identification at the University of North Texas in Fort Worth will do more testing. The center accepts DNA samples from all over the country and is funded by a federal grant, said Linda Larose, a quality assurance manager.
The center's laboratory can do more complex testing of severely degraded samples, Larose said. The testing relies on matching DNA with maternal relatives or descendants from the mother, she said.
Huppie found guilty in brutal rape case by Karen Kleiss
Ryan Huppie in a photo from a binder of exhibits at his trial.
EDMONTON - An Edmonton man who brutally raped and tried to kill his neighbour on a $500 bet has been found guilty on all five charges against him.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terry Clackson ruled this morning that Ryan Huppie, 24, was guilty of breaking into his neighbour's home, raping her and slashing her repeatedly with a meat cleaver in an attempt to kill her.
The young drug dealer faced five charges, including aggravated sexual assault and attempted murder, in connection with the Feb. 17, 2004 attack.
He admitted breaking into the woman's downtown condominium, raping her, slashing her face with the knife and chopping off her finger in a terrifying two-hour attack that ended only after he left her for dead, and she escaped.
He claimed, however, that he was suffering from the disease of addiction and that he was compelled to take a powerful cocktail of illicit drugs that triggered a psychosis and left him with no memory of the event.
Testimony during the trial centred on Huppie's behaviour during the crime. He collected knives in advance, wore gloves, tried to keep his victim from seeing his face - all evidence, experts testified, that he knew what he was doing. However, he also ranted during the attack, telling his victim he would be killed if he didn't have a body to show for his efforts that night - evidence, the defence suggested, that he was in a psychotic state.
Several experts also testified about the effects of the drugs Huppie had taken earlier that night, which included alcohol, ecstasy and a powerful dissociative anaesthetic called ketamine. Court heard the ketamine, known a "Special K" on the street, can cause memory lapses and trigger psychosis.
However, court also heard Huppie's physical ability to commit a rape would have been compromised if he was experiencing the peak effects of the drug.
During psychological testing, Huppie claimed to have multiple personalities, but several experts testified he was a manipulative liar who feigned his mental illness.
Huppie's victim said the vicious attack was like the worst nightmare movie.
She suffered nine stab wounds to the back of her head, a gash from her eyebrow to her cheekbone, and another from her ear to her chin. She was sliced three times on the throat, across the shoulder and had multiple cuts to both hands.
She suffered acute post-traumatic stress, and could not sleep alone for more than a year.
Edmonton Journal 2008
WHY DID HER RAPE NOT GET REPORTED?
Woman's rape 'not reported' by Julia Medew August 28, 2008
A MELBOURNE abortion specialist was one of several health professionals who did not report the rape of a severely intellectually disabled woman when the perpetrator was insisting on the termination of her pregnancy, a tribunal has heard.
Dr Patricia Moore, an expert called into review the case of a late-term abortion performed without legal consent, yesterday expressed shock that so many people who assessed the woman's pregnancy did not act on the fact she had been raped.
"There was obviously evidence of sexual abuse that was not investigated by many people before the final episode," she said. "I started to wonder if a special procedure had not been performed if any of the professionals would have addressed the issue of sexual assault."
Dr Moore made the comments at a Medical Practitioners Board hearing into alleged professional misconduct by Mark Schulberg, the doctor who did the disabled woman's abortion in March 2005.
It is alleged Dr Schulberg performed the termination at 25 weeks without gaining legal consent through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, a legal requirement for an adult who is intellectually disabled.
It is alleged he did not contact police about pregnancy when he should have known she was incapable of consenting to sexual intercourse.
The woman's father, who helped organise the abortion, was convicted of the rape this year and sentenced to a minimum of seven years' jail.
The board heard the woman's father met at least one other doctor and social workers to discuss the termination of her pregnancy before he met Dr Schulberg at his Croydon clinic.
None of the health professionals took any action to find out who had raped the woman, despite some of them acknowledging that she was unable to consent to sexual intercourse, the board heard.
"All of the people who came into contact with the family gave emotive descriptions about her parents and how lovely they were," Dr Moore said.
"If a risk assessment was performed, there would have been quite a bit of concern about the possible perpetrator, given that one might be concerned that that person consenting (to the abortion) had a vested interest in lying."
Dr Moore said although it was difficult to make an "absolute judgement" of Dr Schulberg's actions, she believed his peers and the general community would expect him to know the laws surrounding consent for such a procedure.
Aside from this ignorance, she believed Dr Schulberg acted in good faith and upheld professional standards by gaining the consent of the woman's parents.
When asked if Dr Schulberg should have been wondering about the credibility of the woman's parents, Dr Moore said it was a big leap for any practitioner to think incest had occurred.
She said a practitioner must form the view a person purporting to give consent was the appropriate person before a procedure was done.
In a statement to the board, Dr Schulberg said he planned on contacting the police, but the board heard the police contacted him first after hearing the allegations from another person.
On the basis of this statement, Dr Moore said she was satisfied Dr Schulberg was going to act professionally in his management of the crime.
Dr Moore said if the case had have gone to VCAT and she was asked to give medical evidence about whether the abortion should have proceeded, she would have recommended it go ahead.
Dr Schulberg will give evidence at the hearing, which has been adjourned.
Author’s debut novel tackles sexual abuse, censorship By Ann Marie Shambaugh, Staff Writer
Beth Fehlbaum, an English teacher in Athens ISD, will launch her new book "Courage in Patience" in Frisco on Monday from 3 to 6 p.m.
Sexual abuse. Censorship. Religion. Racism.
These words may appear to fit the plot of a long, dark novel, but they are all addressed in the riveting first chapter of rookie author Beth Fehlbaum’s new book, “Courage in Patience.”
The story follows the struggle of Ashley Asher, a 15-year-old girl who moves to East Texas to live with her father and step-mother after being sexually abused by her step-father and ignored by her mother when seeking help.
In the fictional town of Patience, Texas, Ashley learns that everyone struggles with something, but each life situation is different. Although “Courage in Patience” deals with graphic subject matter, Fehlbaum said it is ultimately about a message of hope.
“This book is written for anyone who has had to face their greatest fears and find out what they’re made of,” she said.
HOBBEMA -- Mounties have broken through the code of silence.
Hobbema residents tip RCMP off to suspect in Deschamps killing...By RENATO GANDIA, SUN MEDIA
HOBBEMA -- Mounties have broken through the code of silence.
The RCMP is hunting for a specific suspect in the Aug. 2 killing of Dale Deschamps following tips from community members fed up with gang intimidation.
Darrell Ernest Baptiste, 19, who police call a "gang associate," was last seen in the Samson Cree Nation townsite on Friday, said police. He's been charged with second-degree murder.
Members of the aboriginal community 87 km south of Edmonton have been struggling with gang violence, but now they are fighting back by giving police critical information.
"Concerned members stepped forward. They decided enough is enough and came forward with the information that we required," said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darrel Bruno.
He added that a $10,000 reward for tips leading to a conviction wasn't the biggest motivation for tipsters -- people want to clean up the community.
Deschamps, 21, was found Aug. 2 at 9:20 a.m. lying unresponsive in the Samson townsite. He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. He had reportedly been beaten to death.
Baptiste is described as five-foot-eight, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
The code of silence among area residents has to be totally broken so leaders can implement more concrete solutions to problems that have been plaguing the community of 12,000 people from four different bands, said Roy Louis, chairman of the Maskwacis Consultant Group, which was formed following the shooting of toddler Asia Saddleback in April.
"I think people just have to come forward and talk to the RCMP," said Louis. "They have information. People know who the perpetrators are and all they need to do is come forward and tell the RCMP."
In the past, Louis said the community's code of silence -- sparked by fear of gangs-- has prevented the RCMP from getting information.
The matter is complicated because the safety of tipsters' families is at stake, Louis said.
Following last week's shooting death of mom Delena Lefthand Dixon, 20, Samson Chief Marvin Yellowbird offered a reward of $10,000 for tips that lead to the arrest and prosecution of her killers.
Yellowbird also offered a $10,000 reward for four other unsolved homicides, including the Deschamps case.
Bruno couldn't say yesterday whether tips have increased since the announcement of the reward.
It's not immediately clear whether the tipsters in the Deschamps case will get the reward money.
The Samson Cree Nation continues to offer $10,000 each for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in the following cases, all on the Samson townsite:
- Delena Lefthand Dixon, 20, shot Aug. 16, 2008.
- Billy Buffalo, killed July 27, 2008.
- Jonathan Lee Saddleback, also known as "Cody," killed Feb. 17, 2007.
- Michael Cattleman, killed Oct. 10, 2005.
Anyone with information is asked to call Hobbema RCMP at (780) 585-3767 or, to remain anonymous, to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.