Court approves RCMP sexual harassment settlement

CBC is reporting that "an unprecedented settlement that will pay up to $220,000 to women who were sexually harassed while working for the RCMP over the past 40 years has been approved by a Federal Court judge, who called the agreement fair and reasonable."

"Each victim is eligible for a minimum of $10,000, with $220,000 going to those most egregiously harmed. While as many as 20,000 women are believed eligible for compensation, the lawyers involved estimate more than 1,000 claimants will receive about $89 million. The government has set aside $100 million for the payouts, even though there is no total cap."

"The proposed settlement has a number of features and benefits that extend beyond a strictly monetary compensation scheme and, as a result, the settlement agreement goes well beyond what the plaintiffs may have been awarded after a trial," McDonald said.

First of all I have to ask why is it that the CBC are the only ones reporting on all these cases? Oh right, that's because Harold Monroe doesn't let these kind of stories be printed in the new corporate merged media in Western Canada. That's why local readers are forced to turn to other sources to find real news.

This settlement represents a change in Federal government. Justin Trudeau gave them direction to settle and that they did. Stephen Harper's response was rage and denial. He directed the old boys club to accuse all the petitioners of being drunks who wanted it. The sheer volume of cases made that false claim ridiculous. Although I object to Justin Trudeau throwing away millions of dollars to Communist China for climate control when they own much of America's debt, this case is money well spent. It includes counselling to help people heal.

How this ties in with the Missing Women's Inquiry

The next question we have to ask is how does this tie in with the Missing Women's Inquiry. Wait 'till I tell ye. It sheds light on the climate of unprofessionalism that plagued the force for so many years but it goes even farther than that. CBC reported that Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, sent researchers to B.C. to investigate claims of RCMP abuse against indigenous women. They interviewed women and girls in First Nations communities along the "Highway of Tears." The group heard stories of alleged police pepper-spraying and using Tasers on young aboriginal girls, and of women being strip-searched by male officers. The report also contains troubling and graphic allegations of physical and sexual abuse, including from a woman, identified as homeless, who describes how an officer took her outside of town and raped her.

A New York advocacy group reported a witness claimed the police drove her outside of town and raped her. Before Wally Opel shut down the previous missing women's inquiry as soon as the Hells Angels were mentioned, former sex trade workers testified that members of the VPD would extort them into having sex. They were told if they didn't have sex with the police officers, the officers would arrest them for prostitution. Then comes Piggy's Palace.

The previous missing women's inquiry was suposed to hear testimony of how off duty police officers attended parties at Piggy's Palace, a drug fueled orgy with sex trade workers and bikers run by the Hells Angels right across from the Pickton Farm. Dianne Rock claimed she was gang raped by bikers and cops on the Pickton Farm. After a whistleblower who was hired to investigate Coquitlam RCMP officer Jim Brown went public with Jim Brown's online bondage profile, accusations were made of a picture floating around of Jim Brown and Dave Pickton in a threesome. As soon as that accusation hit the press, the Coquitlam RCMP kicked in the whistleblower's door then seized and deleted all his evidence. I kid you not.

I don't see there being any justice for the victims of Piggy's Palace in this life. The cover up goes far too deep. All I can say is that this settlement is a step forward in stopping the cycle of abuse. The fact that BC has a new person in charge of the RCMP is a huge step forward. All we need to do now is get rid of Bill Fordy finally and find out who is tying Dwayne McDonald hands in Surrey. Then we will finally be able to move forward. Peace.