Posters go up supporting boys in Rehtaeh Parsons case

[alp227]

Source: CBC

Friends, family and supporters of the four boys allegedly involved in the Rehtaeh Parsons case have taken their voice to the streets of Halifax.

Bright, multi-coloured posters saying, “Speak the truth. There’s two sides to every story. Listen before you judge. The truth will come out. Stay strong and support the boys,” have gone up in neighbourhoods around Halifax, including in the area around Rehtaeh’s mother's house.

On April 7, Rehtaeh, 17, was taken off life support after trying to take her own life a few days earlier. She was buried on Saturday.

According to Parsons' mother, four boys sexually assaulted her daughter when she was 15. Rehtaeh was then said to have been mocked by classmates, enduring relentless harassment and humiliation after a photo of the attack was circulated at her school and on social media. Police investigated, but no charges were ever laid.

Jason Barnes, Rehtaeh’s stepfather, said he first noticed the posters in his neighbourhood Wednesday morning, stapled to telephone poles on his street.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2013/04/17/ns-bullying-rehtaeh-boys-support-posters.html

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[niyad]

1. I guess they got mad because their facebook page was taken down.

[Posteritatis]

7. Yep. These guys are almost definitely among the original bullies, I'd say.

I won't speculate on who the original assailants are, but the group passing those around, and who were dumb enough to try to picket one of the vigils the other day? I don't believe for an instant they aren't among the people who badgered the kid into her grave.

[niyad]

16. it is a good thing I am not up in that area--would probably be sitting in jail about now.

[Posteritatis]

2. The sympathy for the dudebro demographic in town is, shall we say, limited right now

I'm kinda surprised the people running those up still have all their teeth after the last couple days.

A few of the people in that crowd were implicated in assaults on some of Parsons' own friends several months ago, too.

Some incredibly classy people at that school.

[Squinch]

14. This gives me some hope. Are you in Halifax?

Are the assaults on her friends being prosecuted?

[Posteritatis]

15. I am; I can see Parsons' second high school out my window right now.

Went there myself. Was lucky enough not to go to the one she left to get away from these people; Cole Harbour High was a cesspit when I was in school and by all accounts hasn't improved much.

I don't know the full story behind the assaults on her friends - it was a blip in the news some months back as a bog-standard "group of thugs jumps a few other people" sort of thing that just happens now and then. It was only the last week or so that the news got out that the groups involved had some connections to Parsons' case.

As best as I can understand it - I'll see if I can find more on that mess later - a group of them weren't willing to leave it at the one victim, but were bent on going after her remaining friends at the school too. I think that one has just been doing the standard "assault case trundles through the legal system at the usual pace" thing, but they might be reexamining it in light of this.

[Squinch]

19. God, I hope so. Do keep us up on it from the local perspective.

I'm really interested in seeing where Steubenville and Halifax are in 6 months with the "collateral" cases and victims.

Thanks for posting this.

[Posteritatis]

21. I feel a little more optimistic about this place, at least

Aside from these jackasses, who number about a dozen, the city's entirely furious at the whole situation. And it's a much bigger town, half a dozen universities, and so on, so it's much more likely that the clue about how not cool everything about this is will sit in. I expected some idiots to try to defend the rapists, and here those idiots are, but I don't expect anything close to the situation where the townsfolk circle the wagons to defend the poor innocent boys, etc. etc. etc.

I'll be a lot happier when I start seeing schools around here create and enforce some intelligent policies on bullying that do anything. I won't hold my breath for that. Until then, seeing some justice for this situation feels a lot more likely. I find it kind of telling that these kids started the whole "4 the boys" thing a couple of days after the police said someone came forth with enough information to restart the investigations.

We'll see, in any case. There's not a lot of desire to let it slide this time.

[Squinch]

22. It's a shame that what we see are the assholes, even though they are in

a tiny minority. I guess that's what makes news though.

The problem with the press hilighting these idiots is that the next Steubenville-type predators get the mistaken belief that there is a faction out there that supports their actions.

But I'm glad to hear that in Halifax, at least, the vast majority of people are furious at the perpetrators and not the victim. I don't get that same impression about Steubenville.

[geek tragedy]

3. What rape culture? nt

[Squinch]

12. ^^^^Like he said.^^^^

[valerief]

4. Rape-love. Only in friggin' America would they flaunt it. nt

[Posteritatis]

5. I could only wish. This isn't the US. (nt)

[valerief]

9. Thanks. Read too quickly. nt

[MrBig]

6. I believe this is Canada n/t

[valerief]

10. Oops. Read too quickly. Thanks. nt

[msanthrope]

23. This happened in Canada. nt

[sakabatou]

8. Bleague

[timdog44]

11. WHEN these boys

are found guilty, these supporters should be shown the prison doors too. Disgusting.

[Posteritatis]

13. "Being a colossal asshole" isn't a crime, alas.

That said, I wouldn't be the tiniest bit surprised if it got out that they were in on the harassment after Parson was raped, and that sort of thing they could get nailed over.

Heaven knows they weren't exactly helping themselves by getting snippy with reporters and refusing to identify themselves while on camera the other day.

[timdog44]

17. Am I wrong to recall

that Anonymous has been involved here. I thought they broke the case and presented evidence to at least come close to convicting these ____________. Seems I recall the RCMP being totally embarrassed by their inaction.

[chuckstevens]

18. The TRUTH????

What could possibly be "the truth". 4 Boys raped an drunk girl and photographed their great triumph. That's right supporters; keep telling yourself the "truth" will come out.

The real "truth" is that some sick people can honestly believe that it was somehow the girl's fault.

To the Parson's: Stay strong many; many people support you!

[freshwest]

20. Poster looks like it came off of church template. And is that a cross and a bible on there?

The outright support suspected rapists, even convicted ones, get in this world is disgusting.

Like the Trayvon Martin case, they can't wait for this to be decided one way or the other.

No wonder people want to get enough money to hide behind gated communities. Who wants to be at the mercy of such?

[awoke_in_2003]

24. K&R for exposure. nt