An independent review released in June concluded the Halifax regional school board could have done a better job but was hindered by the fact that Rehtaeh was often absent from class. If these boys had not taken pictures of their assault, what would they be charged with? Anonymous knows who the suspects are, but its staying silent out of respector Leah Parsonss wish that the boys not be publicly named. But they havent come out and said the reasoning for dropping the case originally. Rehtaeh Parsons, 17, of Nova Scotia, killed herself in April after being taunted over a photo of her alleged rape by four boys, her mother has said. I mention Rehtaeh Parsons, Steubenville, and the Vanderbilt cases because of the enormous amount of media attention they havegained, but there have been many women and men who have been victims of sexual assault and harassment. Shunned by almost everyone she knew, Rehtaeh was forced to move away and attend a new school. Despite the fact that some people have criticized her decision. "Humans make mistakes," said the young man, who turned 20 yesterday. Legend: TikToker parodied pharmaceutical company and said it was lowering the price of insulinthe company actually did it, The Mandalorian season 3 brings it back to basics, The Mandalorian finally explains what happened to Cara Dune after Gina Caranos firing, Finally my coffee will be right: Customer makes her own coffee order at self-serve Dunkin Express, *First Published: Apr 9, 2013, 5:04 pm CDT. Within a few hours, the Tea Party posted a message saying "Anonymous: We appreciate your resources and admire your tactics. She was a straight-A student. [5], After her suicide, posters appeared locally in support of the boys who allegedly attacked Parsons. This still does not justify the unfairness of what happened, but I hope it can give you and Rehtaehs mother some sense of peace and acceptance. [18][19][20] The provincial government of Darrell Dexter requested the report, which is entitled "External Review of the Halifax Regional School Boards Support of Rehtaeh Parsons". Both of you are in my heart. Where's the rape charge? Rehtaeh Parsons Update: Two arrests in case of Canadian teen who Anonymous wasnt involved in Steubenville? 04/11/13 AT 12:22 PM. The saga of 17-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons, the Nova Scotia teen who took her own life in early April, continues. Canadian media cannot refer to Parsons or the man by name because . "[36], In August 2013, Nova Scotia enacted a law allowing victims of cyberbullying to seek protection, including help in identifying anonymous perpetrators, and to sue the individuals or the parents in the case of minors. In July 2010, there was a reaction to the use of one of Anonymous' slogans by the Oregon Tea Party. The photo shows Parsons and the 17-year-old both naked from the waist down, with him pressed against her. Its true, but only if youre privileged, white, and male. [26], Parsons' suicide and the circumstances surrounding it have been compared to those of British Columbian Amanda Todd[26][31] and with Audrie Pott, a fifteen-year-old girl from Saratoga, California, United States, and appear to show similar characteristics. The RCMP are playing deaf and dumb with informing the public of the information they have in the case, our source continued. Both accused are due in youth court next Thursday. How and why is she being sentenced? Rehtaeh Parsons killed herself after allegedly being been raped and bullied (Facebook) The father of a teenage Canadian girl who killed herself after allegedly being raped by . involving young people in advisory roles; ensuring that students help develop policies that affect them; clarifying the process for transferring students between schools; removing barriers between government bodies that serve students and their families; stronger anti-bullying and anti-sexual aggression policies in schools; restorative justice to help students "learn from their mistakes"; more young people in government advisory roles; a curriculum that includes "intellectual, ethical, social-emotional, and physical development for all students"; schools should ensure harassment allegations are thoroughly investigated and perpetrators punished. According to Jezebel,just this week two Vanderbilt University football players were found guilty for the gang rape of a student that took place in the summer of 2013. [22][23][24][25] The report was delayed until legal proceedings involving two men charged with child pornography offences in the case concluded. Your email address will not be published. This attempt was apparently thwarted by school authorities. Through the eyes of her parents, this film re-examines these alarming events, which ultimately led to Rehtaeh's suicide. [8], Following the suicide, the RCMP announced they were reviewing the case. He said he would like to apologize to her parents through his lawyer. Earlier in the day, Rehtaeh's parents said news of the arrests brought them some solace, though the girl's father expressed disappointment that his daughter never saw justice served. Wait a sec. Two young men have been charged. This has never been about solely highlighting the alleged abusers. Their beloved daughter left this world on April 7, 2013, at the age of 17. Rehtaeh Parsons case: No jail over photo of 'assault' - BBC News Would you trust your family members to be around him in a public spot? The stigmatization of womens bodies? One of the two boys convicted of distributing a photo of himself having sex with Rehtaeh Parsons , the 17-year-old Canadian teen who died after she was taken off life support following a. It has been sent. Did you know that the day she was born she changed my life for the better? Boy in notorious Rehtaeh Parsons photo talks for first time about what The law was passed in response to Parsons' suicide. If we did something stupid when we were a kid, made out with some boy or something, the worst thing you had to worry about was, was your name going to be written in some stall?". Interested in learning more about the female body issues? Depending on the direction the RCMP are going it could very well be them. Victims also can seek a protection order that could place restrictions on or help identify the cyberbully. The ban remains technically in place but unbiased reports about the case will not be subject to prosecution. This, of course, brings into question what the RCMP, with their greater (legal) resources, have in terms of evidence. The end of this story could have been quite different. No Jail Time For Teen Who Took Photo That Led A Rape - BuzzFeed News He put me in his parents car where I slept. Rehtaeh Parsons teen in explicit photo faces sentencing today - Nova [6] The teenagers were drinking vodka at a small party. I wish I had known her. Web of Lies - The Girl in the Photo - Glen Canning said Parsons was drinking at a house party with the two other teens in November, 2011, when one of the . Did you know she loved to read, would drop everything to help an animal or friend in need? Anonymous says they know who Rehtaeh Parsons' rapists are, providing a little extra "incentive" for Canadian authorities to re-open the case themselves. Probation for second man sentenced in Rehtaeh Parsons case Timeline of events associated with Anonymous - Wikipedia The second person convicted in the Rehtaeh Parsons child pornography case in Nova Scotia has been sentenced to 12 months probation. April 7 - Rehtaeh Parsons is taken off life support and dies three days after she tried to kill herself following an alleged sexual assault by four boys at a party in November 2011. At today's sentencing, he said posing for the "sexually degrading" photo and texting it to two people warranted a harsher penalty. A photo of her rape soon began circulating online. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. "I will not live with the guilt of someone passing away, but I will live with the guilt of the photo.". Until recently, Parsons's name was the subject of a publication ban as she was underage when the photo was taken, and thus it qualified as child pornography. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? The day after she discovered the photo, she formed a suicide plan and came close to putting it in effect, ex-plaining that she couldn't see another option. Rehtaeh is gone today because of the four boys that thought that raping a 15 year old girl was OK and to distribute a photo to ruin her spirit and reputation would be fun. A woman holds a photo as several hundred people attended a community vigil to remember Rehtaeh Parsons at Victoria Park in Halifax on Thursday, April 11, 2013. Unfortunately Amanda Todd and Rehtaeh Parsons share a seeming failure on the part of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to properly serve and protect them. According to Rehtaeh's mother, Leah, the Nova Scotia-based teenager had attended a party two years earlier where she had got drunk and been raped. In 2012, another Canadian teen, Amanda Todd, committed suicide after a tormenter coaxed her into flashing her breasts on a teen videochat site, then harassed and blackmailed her for years by sharing X-rated images of her across the Internet. In 2011, 15-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons attended a party with a handful of friends. The heart of the problem lies in the fact that there is nothing inherently shameful about the naked human body. Father of Rehtaeh Parsons looks to 'turn a page' in writing book about How could the police press no charges in a case where obvious child pornography spread virally across an entire high school? "I thought, Oh, today I don't have to remind people, I don't have to send out a notice to say her name today, we're actually allowed to say her name. Three years ago in British Columbia, another teenage girl was gang-raped. This is unacceptable. [30] Leah Parsons had called for the case to be settled legally rather than by vigilantes. There's a part in the movie when Babe knocks over a goldfish bowl and the fish falls onto the floor and starts flopping around. He said the photo was a "gross violation of the personal integrity of Ms. Parsons" and that the man had showed "utter contempt for Ms. Parsons," saying she was "no more than a . (The Parsons family has pushed for Rehtaeh's name to be published and her story to be told. There was shots and just being a 15 year old that wanted to be liked and cool I drank. Holten has reclaimed the power that was stolen from her when her nudes were posted online. I thought she died. never seized any of the boys phones, computers, or hard drives. Rehtaehs case is yet another sad reminder of the power of social media to stretch a moment of sexual violence into a years-long ordeal that destroys a teenagers life. Your email address will not be published. We are highlighting the actions, both off and online, of 19 individuals in Rehtaehs broader community. Rehtaehs former school, Cole Harbour District Highschool, did not support or even acknowledge her when she needed them the most. I am not ashamed of my body, but it is mine. Credit: Telegraph.co.uk In November of 2011, 15-year-old Rehtaeh Parsons was gang raped at a party by four of her male peers. And now he's not a young offender, so everyone should know who he is. [12] Citing the offender's age at the time of the crime and Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Crown had advised the Judge that the only possible penalties in this case were either probation or a conditional discharge. The death of Rehtaeh, who was taken off life support after a suicide attempt in April, led to an outcry. I will say that I always believed Rehtaeh would make an imprint on this world. Welcome to Canadas official subreddit! The man, whose identity is protected because he was 17 at the time of the offence, admitted to posing with Parsons at a house party in Cole Harbour, N.S., in a photo taken two years . Her parents said she was sexually assaulted when she was 15 years old and then bullied relentlessly for more than a year. She got drunk, and while vomiting out of a window, she was allegedly raped while other people took photographs. "We've been waiting for [the review] more so than we've been waiting for the sentencing results," Parsons said. "[27] Rehtaeh's funeral on April 13 was attended by 500 people, including Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter, who said he came "first and foremost as a father trying to imagine what kind of incredible, unfathomable grief could be visited upon a family. Only a year later, the police concluded their investigation stating that there was insufficient evidence despite a viral photograph of Rehtaeh with her rapists. We look forward to seeing what the results are of the review.". Home | Rehtaeh Parsons Society "Simply making the report doesn't guarantee it happens. Zach Shallcross Struggles to Watch Himself Dancing Terribly on The Bachelor, Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine, Alison Brie on Sex Scenes: 'We Are Actors, This Is Our Job'. He admitted to sharing the picture of himself and the girl, that was taken during a small house party at his home in November 2011, and was given 12 months probation by a court in Nova Scotia. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Year of probation for second man who pleaded guilty in Rehtaeh Parsons "I was unable to console her as she crumbled emotionally after that photo was taken. The RCMP have a history of dragging their feet in cases of teen sexual abuse. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. I hope this will provide some measure of comfort to family members.". On April 15, the group was deactivated, but not before organizing a counterprotest and postering in real life, in the fashion of the Westboro Baptist Church, setting up across the street from a pro-Rehtaeh demonstration and sticking posters in front of the Parsons house. Canadian teenager Rehtaeh Parsons . The photo was taken like it was a typical Facebook photo, just some kids having fun. No, you would not know these things because you never took the time to view her as a person. 2023 Getty Images. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The man said that he did not expect the photo to be shared among people. Rehtaeh's death has been compared to similar cases in the United States, including 15-year-old California girl Audrie Pott, who hanged herself after her family says she was sexually assaulted by friends and a photo surfaced online. She checked herself into a hospital for six weeks as she struggled to cope with the fallout from the attack. She was allegedly gang-raped, photographed, and shamed under similar circumstances. A Nova Scotia man who texted a photo that showed him penetrating a 15-year-old girl and flashing a thumbs-up while she vomited won't see the inside of a prison anytime soon. Parsons was hanging out a window after having just vomited, being penetrated, when the photo was taken without her knowledge or consent. She has a keen interest in WikiLeaks and web culture, and her bylines have appeared in Salon, Vanity Fair, Serious Eats, and elsewhere. ), In an interview with the National Post, the teen and his parents insisted that the sex was consensual. Police in Canada have charged two young men with distributing child pornography in the cyberbullying case of Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year-old who killed herself after a photo of her allegedly. Just as rape and sex have nothing to do with each other, pictures shared with and without consent are completely different things.. Rehtaeh Parsons's Best Friend Speaks Out - The Daily Beast My daughter was three years old when we went to watch Babe: Pig in the City. The Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. And able to make decisions about their bodies. The two boys who had sex with her, both 16, passed the photo to several friends. The photo soon began circulating throughout Rehtaeh's school and community . The crime itself. Rehtaeh Parsons Case Featured On Investigation Discovery Glen Canning The girl told her parents that while she was heavily. He was sentenced to 12 months probation. That was very debilitating. They didnt even interview the boys until much, much later, she added. [34], On April 26, 2013, Christie Blatchford wrote in the National Post that a problem in the case was that one of Parsons' friends claimed Parsons was "flirtatious" on the night the photo was taken, was seen laughing in bed with two boys and also there were "accounts from Rehtaeh herself and independent evidence, including retrieved online messages, that supported the suggestion the sex that took place was consensual." The authors met with 111 people, including school board staff, Ministerial staff, school staff, youth, police, health-care workers and others. Wells said the two were not being identified because they were minors when the alleged crimes occurred. She read a list of goals that Rehtaeh had penned in a journal: learn to drive, make new friends, "plan for the rest of my life." Suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons - Simple English Wikipedia, the free So, I wont try to do that. [18][19] One conclusion of the report was that Nova Scotian schools "need to do a better job preventing harassment and sexual aggression". [3] Her death has been attributed to online distribution of photos of an alleged gang rape that occurred 17 months prior to her suicide, in November 2011. Then the slut-shaming, bullying and mental health challenges that are so often experienced by the victims of sexual assault followed her for. Consent is key. A vicious campaign of cyber bullying ensues that drives an innocent girl to take desperate action. ), "Obviously, if I felt like if she didn't want it, it wouldn't have happened," the teen told the paper. She's gone," Glen Canning said. The girl we couldn't names attacker whom we also can't name as he is also underage to be sentenced today for not being the dead kid in a picture we can't show you. Once her peers heard the male's version of what happened that evening, Rehtaeh became known as a "slut". [18] The authors received more than 150 submissions from the general public,[18] but curiously failed to interview Parson's friends or her teachers. Sat, Apr 13: Family and friends gathered together for Rehtaeh Parsons' funeral today. "Her voice was not heard when she struggled to be heard, but it sure is now," Leah Parsons told the court during her victim impact statement. Secondly, All the bullying and messaging and harassment that never let up are also to blame. I remember crying and saying NO but it didnt stop. His name is still covered by the ban.). NotRehtaehs rape, apparently. I am not suggesting that this is a route for all victims of sexual assaultto take. The Halifax-area teen committed suicide after allegedly being gang rape. 35 reviews. I left her house that night and walked to a friends house. Canadian ban on printing Rehtaeh Parsons' name extends to - Poynter We were in the groove.". Web of Lies - After a teenage house party spirals out of control, a shocking photo goes viral around the local schools. These images reclaim power over the female body. Afterwards, many in school called Parsons a "slut" and she received text messages and Facebook messages from people requesting to have sex with her. Rehtaeh al - leged that the photo depicted a sexual assault. I never spoke to my so called friend again but she did refer to me as slut from then on. Parsons' case sparked outrage across Canada. "It was all mutual. Earlier this month, Emma Holten, a victim of revenge porn released by a spiteful waste-of-life ex-boyfriend, released her own nude photos and started the Consent Project. Between those two extremes of extraordinary violence, Rehtaeh lived as a perpetual victimof her rapists, who took a photograph of that night and made sure it spread virally among her classmates, and the Canadian Mounted Police, who never filed a single charge in the case., UPDATE: How schools and police failed Rehtaeh Parsons. Canadian police have yet to convict a single person in the case of Amanda Todd, despite a detailed trail of online evidence. Despite these convictions,it is still not enough. Do not hesitate to message the mods if you experience any issues! The two who were in the photo and took the photo, respectively, are both now 20; one pled guilty to manufacturing child pornography and the other to distributing it. Thank you for sharing and thank you for staying strong for Rehtaeh spreading the word on cyber bullying, getting laws changed, providing resources for the sexually abused, and much much more. She was taken off life support a short while later. Their names can't be legally published in Canada. The legacy of Rehtaeh Parsons | CBC News You need to have a number of people holding [the government] to account and seeing what's actually done", said Dalhousie law professor Wayne MacKay. Now that the court case is over, former Ontario chief prosecutor Murray Segal is free to conduct his independent review of how police handled Rehtaeh's case. Its about highlighting the facts of that night. "[2] The blog of Rehtaeh's father, Glen Canning, also went viral. And in Steubenville, Ohio, the rape of a teenage girl by two local football stars was chronicled and shared in real time via Instagram and Twitter last August. If only the justice system had not failed Rehtaeh. [14] With a conditional discharge, his criminal record will not show a conviction in this case, unless he breaches the terms of his probation. Rehtaeh was born to Leah and Glen in December 1995. "Where's the consent? And of course, theres backlash. I got extremely messed up. If only is a poor response in the wake of this tragedy and it makes me so angry that those, yet again, who are supposed to protect their citizens (regardless of country) fail to do so. Editor-in-Chief of Miss Millennia Magazine. [20], The Parsons case also prompted an external inquiry into the conduct of the Crown Prosecutor's office. Staseys project is a positive move towards de-stigmatizing the nude female form. The review of the RCMP's investigation continues. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. When I was 15 years old, I went to a party with my Friend. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Another was about taking away their ability to make decisions. These consensual images progress a move away from a society. (The police said they didn't have enough evidence to charge them with sexual assault; they also waited 10 months to investigate. In addition to her parents, she left behind two darling sisters, Temyson and Teaghan, who both live in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia with Leah. He's looking at the camera and giving a thumbs-up. cyberbullying legislation allows victims to sue", "New cyberbullying law can force removal of intimate images online", BILL NO. And a photo of the incident had subsequently been . Earlier this year I flew to Halifax to be interviewed for an Investigation Discovery documentary about Rehtaeh. At the time of the incident, the parents were with different partners but equally involved with her upbringing. Never has the message been so powerful than Caitlin Staseys (ofReign)Herself,a feminist website that features not only nude photographs of women but also in-depth interviews with each participant. Parsons died in April after a suicide attempt at the age of 17. The Rehtaeh Parsons' case has aired on the Investigation Discovery television program Web of Lies and her parents Glen Canning and Leah Parsons are speaking out about the program and their daughter's case. Parsons' parents have called it rape. The Chronicle Herald became the subject of investigation for its actions following complaints by police, although other media outlets have been investigated in Halifax for violating the ban but have not been subject to any charges. Rehtaeh, 17, was taken off life-support in April 2013 following a suicide attempt after the explicit photo of her was circulated amongst her peers in Cole Harbour, N.S. A woman holds a photo of Rehtaeh Parsons at Victoria Park in Halifax on April 11, 2013. . She described how damag-ing her experience and the dissemina-tion of the photo were. Rehtaeh Parsons photo used in Facebook dating ad | CBC News Only several months after Rehtaehs assault, a 16-year-old high school student was raped by two high school football players in Steubenville, Ohio. A judge for the Halifax Provincial Court imposed a mandatory DNA sample and ordered that the accused apologize to Rehtaeh Parsons' family. He also said, "I have pled (sic) guilty to distributing child pornography, not a sexual assault" and, "I never played a part in the bullying [of Rehtaeh], nor would I.". Rehtaeh Parsons was raped by four boys at a party. Rehtaeh Parsons was 15 years old when she attended a party, including four male friends. Skr8 this wom didint get raped called it rap when everyone found out about I got the boys 100% if this gose to court Ill be there to fuck it up. Funny you asked. Rehtaeh Parsons case: Teen in explicit photo gets probation - Yahoo! When were completely happy with our efforts the information will go to the people we believe can make the difference in the case. Two Anonymous protesters and Ivan Herritt at the Nova Scotia courthouse. When this happened Rae suddenly stood up on her chair in the movie theatre and started screaming for someone to help the fish. The underlying reasons for it - the drugs, the sex, the bullying, whatever she might've had going on before the party in question - are much larger than any one individual. Facebook apologises over dating ad showing picture of Rehtaeh Parsons Suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons - Wikipedia I had to read it more than once. "[26], Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper commented on the case, saying he was "sickened" by the story and that the online bullying was "simply criminal activity. She made my life complete. I am not ashamed of my body, but it is mine. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. If the news of her rape and subsequent death had not gone viral, Im not sure if Rehtaeh would have ever been given the justice she deserved. Where Are Rehtaeh Parsons' Parents Now? - The Cinemaholic