An indigenous woman was jailed in Edmonton, after going to police about the brutal attack she experienced. She wasn't answering questions the police asking her, often unable to maintain focus and falling asleep during the questioning. These are normal trauma responses after a violent attack.
Not only that but she was detained in a cell next to her attacker for five days, as well as she had to testify in shackles, like a criminal. The laws in Alberta state that a victim can be detained if they refuse to answer police's questions. This is absurd.
Laws should exist to protect victims of violence, not punish them. As well, with outdated laws like this, there is the opportunity for the laws to be abused when the police's biases come to the surface, as they surely did in this case. Indigenous people are the highest percentage of incarcerated in Canada, per capita and anti-indigenous racism is very common.
By changing the laws, victims will be better protected and there will be less opportunities for racism to play out in the justice system.
Sign today to tell Alberta to stop jailing victims.
