A judicial stay of proceedings has been made in the sexual-assault case connected to Because We Are Girls, prompting one of three sisters profiled in the new documentary movie to send a four-minute video message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

A Surrey-area family is the focus of the film, which debuted in May and documents the abuse of three sisters who grew up in Williams Lake decades ago.

Cloverdale resident Jeeti Pooni reacts to the court decision in a video posted to her social media channels Tuesday.

The movie chronicles the sisters91裸聊视频� account of childhood abuse.

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91裸聊视频淢y sisters and I chose to go through the criminal justice system to try and stop our abuser from harming other girls,91裸聊视频� Pooni says in the video. 91裸聊视频淚t was a 12-year journey. All I can say is the criminal justice system is so broken 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 a broken, dinosaur system.

91裸聊视频淵esterday, a very important decision came down in our ,91裸聊视频� she says.

91裸聊视频淥ur case was stayed, meaning the charges were dropped, there will be no sentencing, even though our abuser was found guilty last year, April 6, 2018, for four out of six counts,91裸聊视频� including two counts of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent.

On Monday, a judge ruled that excessive court delays prevented the accused, Manjit Singh Virk, from getting a fair trial.

In the video posted to social media, Pooni says she doesn91裸聊视频檛 blame those who 91裸聊视频渄on91裸聊视频檛 come forward, those that have been horrifically harmed by rape and sexual assault. I don91裸聊视频檛 blame them for staying silent.91裸聊视频�

She says going through the justice 91裸聊视频渕ade my sisters and I feel, at the time, that we were unworthy, we didn91裸聊视频檛 matter, we were very disrespected, humiliated, and the process was very dehumanizing and extremely traumatizing, and it re-traumatized us over and over again over the past eight years the court has been trying our case.91裸聊视频�

She calls on Crown Counsel to appeal the decision, and for an inquiry into the case 91裸聊视频渢o help answer questions of all the wrongs, of all the delays that were offered to defense, all the adjournments, countless adjournments, that left my sisters and I shattered, time and time again.91裸聊视频�

She asks to 91裸聊视频渟it down91裸聊视频� with Trudeau, 91裸聊视频渟o that you and your government can help enable those of us that have been harmed, and those of us who have been violated, help us live better, prosperous lives.

91裸聊视频淲e need special sexual-assault courts that deal with crimes of rape and these heinous violations,91裸聊视频� she adds.

91裸聊视频淲e Canadians, even those of us who have been harmed, deserve a better justice system.91裸聊视频�

Three years in the making, the Baljit Sangra-directed Because We Are Girls had its world premiere during Toronto91裸聊视频檚 Hot Docs film festival in early May, and days later opened the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver.

The movie reveals how the girls felt they couldn91裸聊视频檛 tell anyone about the abuse, for fear of 91裸聊视频渂eing shipped off to India91裸聊视频� and being shunned for what happened.

91裸聊视频淭he biggest advantage he had was he knew we91裸聊视频檇 keep our mouths shut,91裸聊视频� one of the sisters says of the accused, whose identity is kept out of the film.

91裸聊视频淎ny mention of him, there was no place in the film, no need,91裸聊视频� Jeeti told the Now-Leader in April. 91裸聊视频淎t the time the film was being shot, the court case was proceeding, so there were things we couldn91裸聊视频檛 share, but now that it91裸聊视频檚 all wrapping up, I think the important thing is that this story is not about him, it91裸聊视频檚 about the resilience of my sisters and I, and stepping into our power and standing up for ourselves and sharing our truth, no matter if we91裸聊视频檙e believed or not.

91裸聊视频淭he story is more about that, and also when you see my daughters in the film, that91裸聊视频檚 when it should really hit home that my sisters and I were once little girls just like that, right. It91裸聊视频檚 to show that innocence and wake up the community to stop blaming the girls and the women.91裸聊视频�

On Thursday, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced that its film, Because We Are Girls, will play at Vancouver91裸聊视频檚 Vancity Theatre between July 5 and 11, for five screenings. .

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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