With orientation week just around the corner, thousands of students attending Nova Scotian universities will be living, working and learning on campuses without developed sexual assault policies. The problem, according to the Canadian Federation of Students, is the Nova Scotia Liberal Party’s reluctance to pass legislation mandating the development of sexual assault policies on all […]
Sexual assault
Posted inNews + Opinion
Where to go when the going gets tough
Being a student is difficult to begin with, and it can be a struggle to figure out where to turn when things get particularly hard to handle. Universities offer counselling services, but there are other places to go on- and off-campus when looking for support or a safe space. Mental Health Crisis Telephone LineA phone […]
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Taxi safety measures proposed in response to sexual assaults
A staff report coming to Thursday’s meeting of the Transportation Standing Committee is proposing several improvements for passenger safety in Halifax taxis. The report recommends an in-depth review of the city’s taxi industry be conducted by outside consultants to study potential technology upgrades like video surveillance, GPS tracking, car shields, emergency alarm buttons and passenger […]
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Sexual assault support services aren’t nearly enough for survivors
There has been much discussion in the news regarding sexual abuse and the way that lawyers (defence and the Crown), police and professionals-at-large treat victims. I have read and heard people wax poetic for better training, the end of victim blaming and the end of re-victimization by a system that is supposed to help survivors. […]
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Trans exclusionists target Halifax trans women
Over the past two weeks, Halifax transgender women have been experiencing intense and persistent harassment from local trans exclusionists. Readers should note that this piece will discuss acts of transphobia and transmisogyny (discrimination targeting trans feminine individuals) in detail. A trans exclusionist, otherwise known as a transgender exclusionary radical feminist (or “TERF”) excludes transgender people—particularly […]
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Fewer than half of Nova Scotia’s sexual assault charges result in a conviction
Fewer than half of sexual assault charges in Nova Scotia from 2005 to 2014 saw a conviction, a number that almost mirrors individual results about the Halifax Regional Municipality. According to a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) report from the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, during that decade 437 reported sexual assaults saw a charge laid. […]
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Canadian Bar Association asks public to cool it with the name-calling
The Nova Scotia branch of the national Canadian Bar Association is condemning some of the emotionally-charged comments and commentary that have been voiced against judge Gregory Lenehan. Debate and complaints made in the proper channels are important features of the justice system that can lead to positive change, writes CBA-NS executive director Tina Tucker in a […]
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Sexual Assault Centre sees calls for help rise in wake of Lenehan ruling
When Judge Gregory Lenehan acquitted taxi driver Bassam Al-Rawi of sexual assault charges in a Halifax courtroom last week, Jackie Stevens’ phone started ringing off the hook. “Every time a high profile case like this happens,” says Stevens, executive director for the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, “it increases the number of requests for services.” Stevens says […]
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Province announces expanded services to address sexual assaults
While hundreds gathered at Grand Parade to protest a Nova Scotia judge’s comments that “clearly, a drunk can consent,” the province quietly announced several new initiatives it says will support survivors of sexual assault as they navigate through the justice system. The new services include the hiring of two special prosecutors to handle sexual assault […]
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Years after my own assault, nothing has changed
I had just had a baby. I was still breastfeeding. I hadn’t been out in months. There was a DJ coming to town that I loved and my friends were all like, “Come out, come out.” I didn’t make plans with any particular people. I knew I would know tons of people there. Admittedly, I […]
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Appeals committee might offload taxi license decisions to UARB
As political leaders call for a provincial inquiry and thousands get ready to march in the streets, a procedural amendment at city hall being proposed this week could see big changes in who’s deemed fit to drive a taxi. Councillor Waye Mason will bring forward a motion at Tuesday’s meeting of Regional Council asking to […]
Posted inNews + Opinion
PC leader calls for formal inquiry into Judge Lenehan’s consent comments
Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie wants Nova Scotia to conduct a formal inquiry into the inflammatory comments made by Judge Gregory Lenehan that “clearly, a drunk can consent.” In a release sent out Friday, Baillie says he’s written to justice minister Diana Whalen asking the province to address the issue “swiftly and conclusively.” “Victims must […]