Close to 100 protesters held a peaceful demonstration outside the Halifax police headquarters on Sunday afternoon, demanding justice for deceased Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons.
Rehtaeh’s mother, Leah Parsons, was among the demonstrators.
The 17-year-old took her own life following nearly two years of bullying that stemmed from an alleged rape. Leah Parsons said her daughter was raped by four boys who took photos of the assault. The photos were circulated around her daughter’s school, which sparked bullying and harassment from her peers.
Rehtaeh died in hospital last week after attempting to hang herself.
No charges were initially laid in the assault investigation, which sparked a public outcry following the death.
Under mounting scrutiny, officials announced Friday they would re-open the case after coming across “new and credible information.”
A number of protesters Sunday held signs that read ‘Justice for Rehtaeh’ and ‘What if it was your daughter?’
“This is about justice and there isn’t a whole lot of justice in this province and this country for rape victims right now,” demonstrator Hayley Mcphail told CTV Atlantic.
She said while she’s pleased that police have decided to reopen the investigation, it’s “too little, too late.”
Larissa Dunlop said she was “outraged” by a lack of justice in Parsons’ case.
“If a 15-year-old girl can’t get justice after getting gang raped, what kind of justice can I expect from the Nova Scotia government and police officers,” she said. “I don’t feel safe knowing that this happened.”
Leah Parsons did not speak to the crowd, but said the event was of great comfort to her, and that she is grateful for the support.
Event organizers are also calling on Nova Scotia Justice Minister Ross Landry to launch an investigation into allegations Parsons’ case was initially dismissed by the RCMP.
With a report from CTV Atlantic
