Jian Ghomeshi Trial Verdict Gathers McGill Students Together

Sexual Assault Survivors Supported by Various Groups on Campus

NewsVince Morello — Published April 1, 2016

Approximately 60 people gathered outside the James Administration Building on the McGill campus the night of March 31. Despite rain, the demonstration went on as planned.

Five McGill students—with help from the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students Society—organized the event, which was a part of Sexual Assault Awareness week. The demonstration was also held to address issues McGill has with its own sexual assault policy.

“We’d like to bring light to the fact that our institutions are still not doing enough to support survivors on our campus,” said Talia Gruber, one of the organizers.

According to her, a group at McGill responsible for drafting a new sexual assault policy has run into roadblocks with the administration.

The verdict of the Jian Ghomeshi case from last week highlighted the urgency of establishing such a policy.

Ghomeshi was acquitted of four sexual assault charges and has one more trial for another charge.

“We’ve seen a lot of amazing community, outpouring of support, especially in Toronto after that verdict,” Gruber said. “We wanted to bring something like that to Montreal.”

“This is one more piece of evidence that our current system does not support survivors of sexual assault,” said Dorothy Apedaile, the external coordinator of McGill sexual assault centre.

“This is one more piece of evidence that our current system does not support survivors of sexual assault,” — Dorothy Apedaile.

Speakers from the Native Women’s Shelter, Asian Women for Equality Society, and the Sexual Assault Policy Working Group at McGill were also present at the event.

“Women have been betrayed by this criminal justice system in a very public way,” said Sarah M. Mah on behalf of Asian Women for Equality Society.

According to Mah, people can’t expect change from those who “don’t give a crap about your rights.” Change has to come from all people, through pressure on the government and police to change laws, she added.

“The justice system has to serve us too,” said Mah. “It has a job to protect everybody equally, and that includes women, and all survivors of sexual assault.”