A PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF “ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN” – Black Lives Matter Is scheduled to take place Sunday July 26, 2020 @ 830 pm
Location: Outside the New Glasgow Police Department
Domestic violence is any behavior the purpose of which is to gain power and control over a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend or intimate family member.
Domestic Violence is becoming an increasingly dangerous and escalating problem in Nova Scotia and as we have seen in the recent Lionel Desmond inquiry it is a problem that requires early intervention and swift attention to patterns of behaviour, mental health crisis and careful monitoring into the changes in symptoms in order to keep potential victims safe.
Recently a call for an inquiry into the Portapique massacre was called to examine what went wrong, what was missed and if there were any possible interventions that could have saved the victims and their families.
On July 18, 2020 a white man entered the property of his estranged Black girlfriend’s parents house uttering threats in an unstable condition because his son was not back yet from a trip with his mother and would be another 30 minutes or so. He was told by the homeowner and mother of the estranged girlfriend that “we don’t do that around here” and you will need to leave. He ignored all requests from the homeowners to leave the property and continued to escalate into a state of rage attacking his estranged girlfriend’s father assaulting him on numerous occasions while his son from a previous relationship was present and watching.
The homeowners called the police and pressed charges. The perpetrator was contacted via telephone and was granted the privilege of turning himself in the following monday to receive his charges peacefully, unlike the assault he waged two days prior on the unsuspecting grandparents of his son.
Following the trespassing, assault and charges, the perpetrator continued to escalate his violent behaviour making phone contact with both the grandmother and estranged girlfriend and even using multiple numbers to contact the estranged girlfriend when his number was blocked from her phone. This behaviour was also initiated by the perpetrators mother until her phone number too was blocked. Police were made aware of all contact.
Continuing in this escalating pattern of violence the perpetrator showed up to the estranged girlfriends work on July demanding to see his son. She asked him to leave.
On July 24th the perpetrator showed up again to the victims workplace demanding to see his son and threatened to harm her father if she didn’t cooperate stating “I know where your father is right now”. He then told her if she didn’t cooperate he would burn her house down and burn her mother’s house down.
The victim pressed charges and stressed the justified fear she had for her life and the life of her family.
The NGPD did not dispatch anyone to pick him up and it was of a non urgent nature to them as they repeatedly told her family “they were busy at the moment” and they would send someone to pick him up when they had a chance.
The family continued to call having him at large in the unstable condition that he clearly was in posed great safety risks to her and her entire family as he stated he has no fear of the police and that he would just run.
Rather than understand the justified fear the entire family was in they were dismissed and their voices marginalised. The victim took it upon herself to drive around with a family member to locate his whereabouts and deliver that information to the police so she could sleep. She was petrified, her entire family and friends feared for their safety.
They still did not respond nor went to pick him up with any urgency. In total it took approximately 7 hours to pick him up ending this initial nightmare for this family but the battle is not over. The extended family of the perpetrator continues to make threats via social media stating “you will get what is coming to you”.
With all of this information and a lengthy violent past with involvement with the police and incarceration the NGPD did not only not respond appropriately according to protocol but they failed to do any wellness checks or follow up.
VIOLENCE against women is too often ignored in this province and globally and its time that we took a collective stand to ensure we dont need to call for another inquiry or type another hashtag that could have been prevented.
This was a hallmark domestic abuser showing escalating signs of unstable, unpredictable dangerous behaviour and we the public stand behind this family in a quest for justice and answers.
After the families hard work in locating him and advocating for him to be kept locked up for their safety, the perpetrator is now in custody. Bail hearing is scheduled for Monday via teleconference at 830 am.
Please join us in a 12 hour overnight vigil in honour of all women who are victims past or present of domestic violence and help us call for accountability for the perpetrator and the New Glasgow Police Department. Your presence is welcome at anytime.
A protest will follow the Vigil Monday from 830am for another 7 hours which represents the 7 hours this family remained in fear with no support until the victim herself located the perpetrator and delivered that information to the police.
You are there to serve and protect, not ignore and neglect!
JUSTICE NOW!
