Close X
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
ADVT 
National

Paris cops accused of raping Canadian woman will face trial

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 29 Sep, 2017 12:34 PM

    A Canadian woman who says she was raped by two Paris police officers inside the force's headquarters three years ago is relieved that the case will go to trial, her lawyer said Friday.

    A French appeal court has overturned last year's decision by a lower court to dismiss the charges against the officers, whose names have not been released, Howard Rubel said.

    The ruling has brought some satisfaction to his client, Emily Spanton, who has agreed to be identified, Rubel said.

    "Most of the rules that we've developed in Canada about fair trial relating to sexual assault complainants are not in force in France," he said.

    "She had to agree to subject herself to a psychological assessment, she had to provide a history, a sexual history of her previous relationships," as well as character references, he said.

    "She has put up with a tremendous amount of invasion of privacy in order to ensure the matter goes forward so she's very relieved that that wasn't all for nothing."

    Spanton, the daughter of a former Toronto police detective, was visiting Paris in April 2014 when she met the officers at an Irish pub, he said.

    The officers offered to give her a tour of the police headquarters, a building famous for its architecture, the lawyer said.

    When she left the building later, Spanton approached another officer and reported that she had been raped, Rubel said.

    French media report the officers have denied the allegations, with one officer saying there was consensual sex and one admitting only to "consensual touching."

    The lower court had dismissed the case on grounds that there was not enough evidence to prosecute, Rubel said.

    But the appeal court unanimously disagreed with that finding and ordered a trial, which is scheduled to take place next year, he said, adding that much of the evidence is under a publication ban.

    "A court will finally get to rule on all of the evidence and make a decision as to what happened and (Spanton) is very pleased that she will have that opportunity to confront them," he said.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Accused In Slaying Of Montreal Store Clerk Sought Weapon Disposal Advice On Web

    MONTREAL — A man accused of killing a young store clerk in a Montreal grocery store allegedly used his smartphone to make numerous web searches in the days after the slaying that were related to the crime.

    Accused In Slaying Of Montreal Store Clerk Sought Weapon Disposal Advice On Web

    WATCH: Alberta Man Angry After Getting Ticket For Going One Kilometre Over Speed Limit

    WATCH: Alberta Man Angry After Getting Ticket For Going One Kilometre Over Speed Limit
      Mathieu Gagne, 31, said he was nabbed Friday in his Jeep for driving 101 kilometres in a 100-kilometre zone just north of Edmonton.

    WATCH: Alberta Man Angry After Getting Ticket For Going One Kilometre Over Speed Limit

    B.C. Teaching Material Linking 'Squaw' To 'Aboriginal Woman' Pulled For Review

    B.C. Teaching Material Linking 'Squaw' To 'Aboriginal Woman' Pulled For Review
    A parent took to social media over the weekend to express her shock about educational material used at Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver related to the graphic novel Susanna Moodie: Roughing it in the Bush.

    B.C. Teaching Material Linking 'Squaw' To 'Aboriginal Woman' Pulled For Review

    Three New Senior Leaders For Vancouver Police Department

    Three New Senior Leaders For Vancouver Police Department
    Vancouver Police Department Chief Constable Adam Palmer today announced the appointment of Superintendent Howard Chow as a new Deputy Chief Constable, and Inspectors Marcie Flamand and Martin Bruce as two new superintendents.

    Three New Senior Leaders For Vancouver Police Department

    New West Police Arrest Man After Seven-Hour Standoff

    On September 18, 2017 at approximately 5:00am, New Westminster Police Department were called to a residence in Queensborough for a male uttering threats. 

    New West Police Arrest Man After Seven-Hour Standoff

    One Dead Following Triple Stabbing In Burnaby, Two Injured; Suspect Arrested

    RCMP say they were called to the scene on Kingsway, just east of the Metrotown Mall, at about 11:30 Monday night.

    One Dead Following Triple Stabbing In Burnaby, Two Injured; Suspect Arrested