Leah Parsons “relieved” after mistakes acknowledged in her daughter’s case

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HALIFAX– Leah Parsons says she is impressed by a review released on the police and prosecution response to her daughter’s case and says she’s relieved police have finally apologized for their mistakes.

The report, conducted by former Ontario Attorney General Murray Segal, was released last week and highlights a number of errors in the Rehtaeh Parsons case and offers 17 recommendations.

Among the mistakes is the fact that child pornography charges should have been laid at the conclusion of the initial investigation and the investigation itself took too long.

Parsons says she watched her daughter go through turmoil for the entire year the investigation look place. Says she was referred to as “the demanding mother” in the police reports as she was continually searching for answers and help from the police.

“I just kept asking questions about the investigative techniques. Asking police questions about why [they] don’t have the cellphones and [about how] I don’t understand how there’s still a photo being circulated,” said Parsons.

“After a full year of being totally confused, and the whole family being in crisis, I was told the photo was a community issue and not a police issue.”

In his report Segal writes a main error in the case was a junior crown prosecutor’s opinion that child porn charges would not lead to a conviction because it wasn’t possible to identify who was in the photo. He refers to this error as a “misunderstanding of the law”.

Segal also notes police investigators tried to go to Rehtaeh’s school in order to interview as many students as possible and was apparently “thwarted” by school authorities.

Parsons says more needed to be done at the school level to protect her daughter.

“If the photo wasn’t circulated and wasn’t allowed to go that full year I’d still have Rehtaeh here. I know that.”

She says it was only after Rehtaeh died and new evidence surfaced that charges were laid, adding she believes public pressure motivated police.

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