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 sistersB次元官网网址� account of childhood abuse.

READ MORE:

B次元官网网址淢y sisters and I chose to go through the criminal justice system to try and stop our abuser from harming other girls,B次元官网网址� Pooni says in the video. B次元官网网址淚t was a 12-year journey. All I can say is the criminal justice system is so broken B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 a broken, dinosaur system.

B次元官网网址淵esterday, a very important decision came down in our ,B次元官网网址� she says.

B次元官网网址淥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,B次元官网网址� 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 doesnB次元官网网址檛 blame those who B次元官网网址渄onB次元官网网址檛 come forward, those that have been horrifically harmed by rape and sexual assault. I donB次元官网网址檛 blame them for staying silent.B次元官网网址�

She says going through the justice B次元官网网址渕ade my sisters and I feel, at the time, that we were unworthy, we didnB次元官网网址檛 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.B次元官网网址�

She calls on Crown Counsel to appeal the decision, and for an inquiry into the case B次元官网网址渢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.B次元官网网址�

She asks to B次元官网网址渟it downB次元官网网址� with Trudeau, B次元官网网址渟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.

B次元官网网址淲e need special sexual-assault courts that deal with crimes of rape and these heinous violations,B次元官网网址� she adds.

B次元官网网址淲e Canadians, even those of us who have been harmed, deserve a better justice system.B次元官网网址�

Three years in the making, the Baljit Sangra-directed Because We Are Girls had its world premiere during TorontoB次元官网网址檚 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 couldnB次元官网网址檛 tell anyone about the abuse, for fear of B次元官网网址渂eing shipped off to IndiaB次元官网网址� and being shunned for what happened.

B次元官网网址淭he biggest advantage he had was he knew weB次元官网网址檇 keep our mouths shut,B次元官网网址� one of the sisters says of the accused, whose identity is kept out of the film.

B次元官网网址淎ny mention of him, there was no place in the film, no need,B次元官网网址� Jeeti told the Now-Leader in April. B次元官网网址淎t the time the film was being shot, the court case was proceeding, so there were things we couldnB次元官网网址檛 share, but now that itB次元官网网址檚 all wrapping up, I think the important thing is that this story is not about him, itB次元官网网址檚 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 weB次元官网网址檙e believed or not.

B次元官网网址淭he story is more about that, and also when you see my daughters in the film, thatB次元官网网址檚 when it should really hit home that my sisters and I were once little girls just like that, right. ItB次元官网网址檚 to show that innocence and wake up the community to stop blaming the girls and the women.B次元官网网址�

On Thursday, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) announced that its film, Because We Are Girls, will play at VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Vancity Theatre between July 5 and 11, for five screenings. .

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on