Protesters want justice for Cindy
Murder trial sparks furor over slayings of aboriginal women
Dozens of demonstrators attending a vigil Thursday in memory of an Edmonton woman found dead in a motel room bathtub four years ago were offered a brief moment of celebration upon learning her case will be appealed.
About 75 people gathered near the Calgary courthouse to protest the acquittal of an Ontario truck driver in the death of Cindy Gladue, a case that has renewed calls for justice for murdered and missing aboriginal women across the country.
A jury last month found Bradley Barton not guilty of first- degree murder in the death of Gladue, a 36- year- old prostitute who bled to death. Prosecutors announced Thursday the verdict will be appealed.
Michelle Robinson, president of the Aboriginal People’s Commission of Alberta, organized the Calgary rally, one of 22 held across the country. She drew cheers from the crowd after announcing the Crown will seek a second trial.
“This is a small victory,” she said. “Today’s vigil will help the Gladue family to heal.”
While news of the appeal brought some joy, those emotions were tempered by Gladue’s case and the disproportionate death of indigenous women in Canada.
“The acquittal sends a strong message to Albertans,” Robinson said. “If you’re an indigenous woman in this province, your life doesn’t matter.”
Stephanie English, a member of the Piikani nation, echoed that sentiment.
“Aboriginal women are more than just a number,” English said. “I fear for my daughters, that they will suffer the same fate as Cindy.”
An RCMP report last May identified more than 1,000 aboriginal women and girls murdered between 1980 and 2012. It said aboriginal women make up about 4 per cent of the Canadian population yet account for 16 per cent of female homicides.
“When we lose one woman, we lose a part of our own souls,” said Chantal Chagnon, of the Muskeg Lake Nation.
As members of various First Nations spoke and performed traditional songs, a book was passed around to gather messages of condolence for the Gladue family.
Anna Coe, the mother of a Metis daughter, said she attended the vigil to hope for better for future generations of First Nations’ women.
“It’s nice to see people have come out to support a different answer,” Coe said.
In a release, Chief Crown prosecutor Michelle Doyle called Gladue’s death “shocking and appalling.”
The Crown’s appeal notice cites mistakes the judge made during his charge to the jury, including his instructions about how Barton could have been found guilty of manslaughter.
Barton’s lawyer, Dino Bottos, said while he respects the protesters, they didn’t attend the month- long trial. If they had, he said, they’d likely agree with the jury.
“What they’ve done is, they’ve taken this case and tried to hold it up as an example of how aboriginal women or aboriginal people are mistreated by the criminal justice system,” Bottos said.
“The jury in this case spent a day and a half deliberating. And it’s unfair to them to suggest that their verdict was misguided or based on race.”