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Politics : Evolution -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Greg or e who wrote (35381)	4/19/2013 1:17:44 AM
From: average joe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 69300

Wildrose MLA wants sex assault cases involving children fast-tracked By Darcy Henton, Calgary Herald April 15, 2013 Dani Polsom, along with her mom Alison Jones, speaks to a crush of media gathered in the office of Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson Friday April 12, 2013.Photograph by: Ted Rhodes , Calgary Herald EDMONTON — Wildrose critic Rob Anderson has joined an alleged sexual assault victim in calling on the Redford government to implement changes to ensure sexual assault cases against children are expedited in Alberta’s courts. Anderson, MLA for Airdrie, said Monday he will table a petition of 1,000 names calling for the changes on behalf of Dani Polsom, whose accused abuser avoided a trial on sexual assault changes due to administrative delays. The petition also calls on Alberta Justice to automatically order independent investigations into cases stayed due to institutional or Crown delays and to publish the number of cases annually stayed or withdrawn due to delays. “This is not an isolated case sadly,” Anderson told reporters at a morning press conference with Polsom at the Wildrose offices at the legislature. “There needs to be more accountability.” Polsom, who was granted a court order to lift a ban on the publication of her name, said she spoke out about her own ordeal to help prevent it from happening again to other sexual assault victims. Her complaint resulted in an internal Justice investigation that found the courts are plagued with a “systemic acceptance of delay” and produced 17 recommendations to address the situation. Standing with friends and family, Polsom, now 27, urged others to speak out about sexual abuse. “It took years. It took pain and it was hard,” she said. “We didn’t create a huge change but today there is one less excuse not to tell the truth.” Polsom alleged she was sexually assaulted from age nine until she was 17. Police investigated and laid charges in September 2009. However, the case took 38 months to make its way through the courts, ending with a successful defence application to stay the charges against the accused due to unreasonable delays. The investigation report, released Friday, identified several factors that led to the charges being ultimately stayed, including an incomplete investigation, unnecessary and repeated adjournments. The investigator said the courts are so congested, the process so convoluted, and court participants so busy, that delays are readily accepted. The investigation was hampered in the beginning by laying charges before investigators had gathered sufficient witness statements. The result was a series of adjournments as authorities conducted additional interviews and disclosed the new information to the defence. One of the recommendations is to improve consultation between police and prosecutors before they make any decision to lay charges. http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Wildrose+wants+assault+cases+involving+children+fast+tracked/8245207/story.html#ixzz2QsphnUq1