Miss Millennia Magazine LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. BestsellerThe Barista Express grinds, foams milk, and produces the silkiest espresso at the perfect temperature. If only her rapists were found guilty immediately following her assault and she had the chance to move on with her life and recover from the trauma of her assault. Rehtaeh Anne Parsons was born to Leah Parsons and Glen Canning on December 9, 1995, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Holten has reclaimed the power that was stolen from her when her nudes were posted online. The stigmatization of womens bodies? Images via DarksideBarones/Twitter. Earlier this year I flew to Halifax to be interviewed for an Investigation Discovery documentary about Rehtaeh. "I am truly sorry. Leah Parsons said she planned to meet with Segal as soon as he's back in town. Rehtaeh Parsons is shown in a Facebook photo. [8], A year following the alleged rape, the RCMP concluded an investigation stating, "[an] investigation into an earlier sexual assault was completed, and in consultation with the Crown, there was insufficient evidence to lay charges". The RCMP have a history of dragging their feet in cases of teen sexual abuse. "[2] The blog of Rehtaeh's father, Glen Canning, also went viral. Nobody expects them to shout from the rooftops. The heart of the problem lies in the fact that there is nothing inherently shameful about the naked human body. The conclusion to Leah Parsonss Facebook post is heartbreaking. 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. (The young man who posed for the photo was also underage at the time. Did you know she had two little sisters that she adored? Did you know that the day she was born she changed my life for the better? "He's not. The sentencing hearing was held Thursday morning in Halifax in provincial court. She was 17 when she died. Two 18-year-old men were arrested on. Search from Rehtaeh Parsons Photos stock photos, pictures and royalty-free images from iStock. He insists the sex was consensual and that he didn't 'bully' Rehtaeh, while his parents defend him as a good kid "who's made some mistakes.". Judge Gregory Lenehan said Parsons, who was 17 at the time of her death, did not know the photo was being taken and did not give consent for it to be shared. At the time of the incident, the parents were with different partners but equally involved with her upbringing. Rehtaeh Parsons, a 15 year old student from Nova Scotia, was raped by four schoolboys while drunk at a sleepover. Rehtaeh al - leged that the photo depicted a sexual assault. The 17-year old student from Cole Harbour, N.S., committed suicide after four boys sexually asssaulted her and then distributed photos of the. . Instead, the police called it a "he said, she said" case and also decided the photo was not criminal, in spite of Parsons being a minor. I'm proud of Anonymous for doing what they did.". When given a chance to speak Thursday, the man who posed for the photo said, "I have already apologized to Rehtaeh a few days after the picture was sent." She had also written, "I am very much looking forward to the rest of High School. In a heartbreaking victim impact statement delivered during his Thursday sentencing, Rehtaeh's mother Leah told the teennow a manhow much she'd lost with her daughter's death, and chided him for not bothering to learn what a beautiful and generous person she was: I know that Rehtaeh did nothing to deserve that type of treatment. I hope we will be able to see this documentary! "[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. I thought she died. The review of the RCMP's investigation continues. [19] School boards need to share more information when kids transfer schools, as Parsons did to escape harassment. We believe it's in the public interest in this unique case, given the widespread recognition of [her] name, and given the good that can come, and has already come, from free public debate over sexual consent and the other elements of her story." Segal made it clear that Parsons' complaint of sexual assault and cyberbullying was mishandled, and as early as one day later there were calls to implement his recommendations. Sign-up to get the latest news and update information. [17], On June 14, 2013, the 56-page report of Penny Milton and Debra Pepler, two education experts from Ontario, was released. Just as rape and sex have nothing to do with each other, pictures shared with and without consent are completely different things.. Blatchford calls that "a courageous challenge to the public narrative" around the case and calls the teen "brave." You can read our previous coverage of the court case here and here. 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. "Humans make mistakes," said the young man, who turned 20 yesterday. Only a year later, the police concluded their investigation stating that there was insufficient evidence despite a viral photograph of Rehtaeh with her rapists. In November, Lenehan handed a second young man, who snapped the photo, a conditional discharge. The 20-year-old, whose case was made famous thanks to an Anonymous campaign, will be getting 12 months probation. 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.". VICE Canada respected the ban while it was in place. It's a relief.". [18] The authors received more than 150 submissions from the general public,[18] but curiously failed to interview Parson's friends or her teachers. This happened in the 80s before there were cell phones. Two years earlier, when Rehtaeh was just 15 years old, she told her mother that four teenage boys had raped her while she was drunk on vodka and passed her around at a small house party in. Her mother was forced to make the painful decision to remove her from life support, thus saving four others lives. Why ex Neighbours actress Caitlin Stasey launched feminist website Herself.com, 11 Absolutely Empowering Ways to Celebrate the Woman In Your Life, 7 Important Adulting Skills That Everyone Should Know, 6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Business Going When Times Are Tough, 5 Low-risk Investment Alternatives To A Savings Account, The Truth About Millennials And Plastic Surgery, How To Dominate Dating When You Live A Busy Life, Download: 100+ Websites That Pay You To Blog. If only. The two boys who had sex with her, both 16, passed the photo to several friends. [20] "The school to which Rehtaeh transferred received no information about these events and did not get to know Rehtaeh well," the report noted. "That kid pled guilty to having sex with her while she was vomiting out a window," he said. Anonymous knows who the suspects are, but its staying silent out of respector Leah Parsonss wish that the boys not be publicly named. The teen in the photo was sentenced Thursday to one year of probation and ordered not to drink alcohol. She's gone," Glen Canning said. Once her peers heard the male's version of what happened that evening, Rehtaeh became known as a "slut". "I don't sit here as a parent and say he's perfect," she told Blatchford. She was taken off life support a short while later. Rehtaeh Parsons was 15 years old when she attended a party, including four male friends. And a photo of the incident had subsequently been . Those are the people that took the life of my beautiful girl. 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. We must understand what is at stake when these images go viral, whether they were taken by the women themselves or their lovers, but especially when the women arenot consentingto what is taking place in these pictures or videos. The pre-sentence report says the man cried when he learned Parsons had been taken off a life-support machine after she slipped into a coma due to a suicide attempt. The Canadian police only reopened the case following her death and were able to convict two boys of making and distributing child pornography. A Halifax court ruled on Thursday that no jail time or probation would be given to the young man responsible for the photo that led Rehtaeh Parsons to kill herself in April 2013. On Rehtaehs memorial Facebook page, her mother, Leah, described how the rape and ceaseless harassment pulled the girl into depression and suicidal thoughts. [39], A replacement law, the Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act,[39] was passed in 2017[40] and came into force in 2018. The alleged rape went unreported for several days until Parsons broke down and told her family, who contacted an emergency health team and the police. [15] He was sentenced on January 15, 2015, to one year of probation and required to submit a sample to a DNA database. A vicious campaign of cyber bullying ensues that drives an innocent girl to take desperate action. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. 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. We consider a womans sexuality so linked to her physicality that for a woman to appear naked publicly is automatically an act of sex and not for herself My prerogative was to share the stories and plight of women just like you or me. [30] Leah Parsons had called for the case to be settled legally rather than by vigilantes. 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 being raped was shared online. How can we undo the damage that has been done? The girl told her parents that while she was heavily. She sought assistance from the authorities. "Ms. Parsons was treated as no more than a prop for his enjoyment.". 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Rehtaeh took her own life last week at the age of 17 after being gang raped in 2011 and relentlessly bullied by her classmates and peers ever since. The boy raping Rehtaeh posed and gave a thumbs up. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. At some point the RCMP reached out to the group defending Parsonss alleged rapists, prompting admin Latisha Brimicombe to deactivate it. [18][19] One conclusion of the report was that Nova Scotian schools "need to do a better job preventing harassment and sexual aggression". A judge for the Halifax Provincial Court imposed a mandatory DNA sample and ordered that the accused apologize to Rehtaeh Parsons' family. He was sentenced to 12 months probation. She died shortly after. His name is still covered by the ban.). Sat, Apr 13: Family and friends gathered together for Rehtaeh Parsons' funeral today. I am in tears over this. The crime itself. Following the sentencing, members of Halifax anonymous wearing Guy Fawkes masks yelled at the young man's supporters as they left the courthouse. Six years after Rehtaehs death her life and struggle is still making a difference in peoples lives. Both accused are due in youth court next Thursday. I went back to my friends house to sleep over after this with her and told her what happened. Showing results for rehtaeh parsons. It recommended that the Halifax Regional School Board clarify the transfer approval process between schools, in order to stamp out any inconsistencies between policy and practices. And this was how the notorious picture of Rehtaeh Parsons naked from the waist down, hanging out a window after she'd thrown up, unaware that the half-naked boy behind her was looking over his. [14] With a conditional discharge, his criminal record will not show a conviction in this case, unless he breaches the terms of his probation. [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. [39], Canadian media reports about criminal trials involving child pornography are subject to a publication ban under the Criminal Code: they must omit any information that would identify any minor who was involved in or witness to the case, including the victim, or be subject to fines. These screenshots contain blurred-out names of the alleged attackers. [13] In November 2014, the first defendant to plead guilty was sentenced to a conditional discharge with 12 months' probation. Dont worry, we wont send spam! 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. 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. Their names can't be legally published in Canada. "Simply making the report doesn't guarantee it happens. [19] Among the 13 recommendations[20] made by the authors were: The report traced Parson's history through the school system. I never spoke to my so called friend again but she did refer to me as slut from then on. 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. Then about 15-years-old, she reportedly drank some vodka. Police initially concluded there were no grounds to charge anyone after a yearlong investigation. Rehtaeh's case also sparked an online campaign for justice involving the hacktivist group Anonymous. He said he hadn't failed Rehtaeh, but the justice system had failed her. This has never been about solely highlighting the alleged abusers. The young man cried when he first heard Rehtaeh died. "This morning when I started to get ready, that was the first kind of big relief I felt off my shoulders," she said. Rehtaehs story is well documented in the media. Holten is empowered by these photos. He's looking at the camera and giving a thumbs-up. said Parsons was drinking at a house party with the two other teens in November, 2011, when one of the . There was shots and just being a 15 year old that wanted to be liked and cool I drank. It spread like wildfire and she was cruelly mocked. And now he's not a young offender, so everyone should know who he is. Not simply because strangers, friends, and family alike would see you nude, but because of the judgment of these victims. Everybody has a right to know, in all honesty, even a young offender. And the message they relay. Depending on the direction the RCMP are going it could very well be them. A vicious campaign of cyber bullying ensues that drives an innocent girl to take desperate action. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? 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. Parsons, who was attempting to throw up out of a window at the time the photo was taken, while the teenage boy was having sex with her and holding his thumb up to the camera while another teenager took the picture, according to Herald News. Rehtaeh quickly became intoxicated and was left behind in a home with four males. What we dont want to do is just drop names and start a witch hunt. Kevin Morris is a veteran web reporter and editor who specializes in longform journalism. The Halifax-area teen committed suicide after allegedly being gang rape. That is not called consensual sex. The administrator of a website that used photos of Rehtaeh Parsons to advertise online dating is apologizing and has taken down his website, saying the use of the girl's image was a mistake . 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 .