Canada: Man jailed for rape might get a new trial

Submitted by Matt on Wed, 2009-01-14 16:28

Story here. Excerpt:

'Ivan Henry already had a criminal history in 1983, a previous conviction for attempted rape. He also had a history of drug and alcohol abuse. According to a court-appointed psychiatrist, he was psychotic and suffered paranoid delusions.
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He has spent the past 26 years in prison for crimes he has always maintained he did not commit.

The record now casts serious doubt on the prosecution's case against him and the process leading to it.
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But "relevant and potentially exculpatory" evidence had surfaced while Henry languished in prison.

He had, in the 1980s and 1990s, tried to initiate 55 proceedings, all on his own. None succeeded.
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The suspect was identified during yesterday's proceedings, but his name cannot be published under court order. He pleaded guilty to three sex offences in 2005 and received a five-year prison sentence. He has since been released.

Henry, on the other hand, remains in prison. "A man has been convicted and has served 26 years in prison for crimes he did not commit," David Layton told the panel of B. C. Court of Appeal judges yesterday. The Crown ventured almost as far.'

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When he is retried... and acquitted... how do you give an innocent man back 26 years of his life?

Gunner Retired

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Submitted by Gunner Retired on Thu, 2009-01-15 03:36

Well, it seems to me that since the government of British Columbia wrongly convicted this man, they should have to pay him handsomely to make up for his wrongful imprisonment. At least, in a perfect world that's what would happen. He deserves millions. His name has been tarnished, he's wasted away in jail for decades, and most importantly, his human rights have been trumped. I hope that's what happens.

It would be a great way to show the world the price of believing all men are guilty until proven innocent of rape. I believe something similar happened with a man named David Milgaard, who was in prison for over 25 years for a rape and murder he did not committ. I believe that he was compensated for it.

Evan AKA X-TRNL
Real Men Don't Take Abuse!

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Submitted by xtrnl on Thu, 2009-01-15 04:44

Why is it necessary to give him a new trial when women never lie about rape? In fact, he didn't deserve due process in the first place.

I love sarcasm.

{EGE BAMYASI}

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Submitted by anthony on Thu, 2009-01-15 07:14