Accused teen killer in court
Demonstrators gather as refugee makes appearance
VANCOUVER• Demonstrators carrying signs that said “No More Killings” gathered outside a Vancouver courthouse on Friday as the man charged in the murder of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen appeared before a judge.
Ibrahim Ali, who is charged with the first-degree murder of the Burnaby girl, stood quietly in the prisoner’s dock with his hands behind his back during the appearance, which lasted only a few minutes. He was wearing an orange T-shirt and prison pants and sporting a beard.
Ali, 28, spoke quietly with an Arabic interpreter but did not address the court, only glancing momentarily at the crowd gathered in the room.
The courtroom was packed, mostly with people showing support for the victim’s family. It wasn’t clear whether Marrisa’s family were among them.
“We feel sorry for Marrisa Shen,” Wen Zhou, one of the supporters, said outside court. “We feel sorry for her family. Marrisa Shen deserved to live much longer than now. We hope the murderer will be punished.”
Ali, who was arrested on Sept. 7, is a Syrian national who has been in Canada for about 17 months. He arrived in B.C. in March 2017 as a refugee through the joint sponsorship of a group of families on Bowen Island and the St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church. He has no prior criminal record.
The apartment where he lived is less than a 10-minute walk to Central Park, where Marrisa Shen’s body was discovered, in a wooded area on July 19, 2017.
She’d been reported missing after she failed to return home from a Tim Hortons the evening before. Police launched a search using GPS to track her phone.
Some of the demonstrators who had gathered at the courthouse on Friday questioned the country’s immigration system under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, some clutching white flowers and holding signs that read “Justin Trudeau, where is your heart now?” and “No More Killings.”
“This is a terrible tragedy to us,” said Laura Thompson. “It’s a failed Trudeau policy. This is not at all right for us.”
A small group representing the Syrian community gathered separately, lighting candles and holding signs that read, “Justice for Marrisa Shen.”
Nasser Najjar said he supports Shen’s family and one man’s alleged actions do not represent the Syrian or Arab community.
“We are really shocked,” said Najjar, who is Palestinian and arrived in Canada two years ago. He said he hopes Canada continues to welcome refugees, adding that many work hard to give back to the country.
Outside court, Ali’s lawyer, Danny Markovitz, said his heart “truly goes out” to the murder victim.
“I received particulars today and I haven’t had a chance to review them in any depth. I will review them but at this stage I cannot offer any comments except to again say we all feel horrible for that child.”
According to reports in the Bowen Island Undercurrent, Ali arrived with two brothers, one of whom had a spouse and three young children. They joined a fourth brother who came to Canada as a government-sponsored refugee four years ago.
The family was united and now lives in Burnaby.