Former Crown prosecutor says ‘don’t blame judge’ in Ghomeshi case
Posted March 24, 2016 10:36 pm.
Last Updated March 24, 2016 11:59 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A former Crown prosecutor says standing behind the witnesses in the Jian Ghomesi case is not doing any favours for the survivor support movement.
Sandy Garossino puts the blame for what she calls “an unmitigated disaster” squarely on the witnesses.
She says after watching the trial closely and even talking with other active members of Crown counsel, she has come to believe the judge could not have drawn any other conclusion about Ghomeshi.
She says it’s no use circling the wagons around the complainants.
“People are coming in full-bore behind these complainants and being very dismissive of the trial judge’s findings. It’s very clear the witnesses’ evidence was very troubled. They did mislead the court.”
She says the witnesses are not naive and inexperienced young people, but mature adults who need to step up and own this.
“Unfortunately, it’s very hard for me as a feminist to say that. But they did avoid telling the truth. They did suppress important material facts that they should have made.”
She points out the witnesses had ample opportunity to divulge the emails, texts and letters sent to Ghomeshi after the alleged assaults.
She says because of her background in the courts, she could tell the trial was in trouble right from the beginning.
