Friday, December 31, 2010 What’s up with all the binoculars?
Page A15
ary Annivers 1985-2010
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2010
Newsmaker of the Year
This property, located in the 12000 block of Harris Road, was the site of a rave and sexual assault that rocked the community in September. Troy Landreville/TIMES
Crime
Charges still pending in Pitt rave
Two more people could be charged in connection with a sexual assault at a Pitt Meadows rave in September. by Amy Judd ajudd@mrtimes.com
In September the story of a 16year-old girl being gang-raped by several men and youths, while at least one youth took pictures and uploaded them to Facebook, gripped the attention of local residents and of media across Canada and around the world. A charge of distribution of child pornography is being recommended against an adult male after a sexual assault at a rave party in Pitt Meadows this fall. Police also prepared a charge of sexual assault causing bodily harm against an 18-year-old
man. Both charges are pending Crown approval. “[We are] waiting for Crown to make a decision on recommended charges against an 18-year-old and [an] additional adult suspect,” said Sgt. Peter Thiessen, spokesperson for the RCMP Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service. Charges have already been approved against a 16-year-old from Maple Ridge for the production of child pornography and for the distribution of child pornography. Police are still experiencing problems in their efforts to prevent the spread of the photos online. Everytime the graphic photos being shared via Facebook and cellphones were taken down, they reappeared elsewhere. “Picture circulation appears to have diminished,” said Thiessen, “but as we become aware, we
attempt to remove [them].” Const. Aaron Lloyd said police began their investigation after a young person saw the photos on Facebook and contacted the Ridge Meadows RCMP. A few hundred people attended the rave, but police encountered problems when trying to interview witnesses, as some young people were uncooperative with the investigation, according to Lloyd. “Despite what some people think they saw, this was rape,” said Sgt. Jennifer Hyland. “There would appear to be some level of a code of silence, for lack of a better term,” Thiessen said in October. Two witnesses did come forward in September. Thiessen praised them for doing so, noting that they were dealing with “extreme peer pressure.” The victim has not been named, to protect her identity,
Sgt. Peter Thiessen RCMP spokesperson
but according to police, she returned to school a short while after the incident occurred and asked to be left alone, to allow
time to heal. A Facebook page set up in support of the girl now has more than 18,000 supporters. Another page, called, “Reasonable Doubt in Pitt Meadows,” states its purpose as being “for the people who have yet to jump on the bandwagon headed out to lynch the men/boys involved in the alleged sexual assault of a 16year-old young woman from Pitt Meadows.” The group is not open to the public anymore, and people must now request to join. Police are still encouraging anyone with information in this case to come forward. Anyone can call Ridge Meadows RCMP at 604-463-6251, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a TIP online at www. bccrimestoppers.com.
– With files from PostMedia.
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