VERNON – Demonstrators gathered outside the Vernon Law Courts on Tuesday to protest a not guilty verdict in an Edmonton trial.
Bradley Barton, a Mississauga, Ontario man, was charged after the body of Cindy Gladue was found at an Edmonton hotel in 2011. Last week Barton was found not guilty in connection with her death.
However, the protesters in Vernon today don’t believe justice was served.
“When we allow this to happen to anyone we are saying, ‘It is okay. Violence is okay. Men can do this and it’s okay. There is no price to pay for it,’” says Mollie Bono, who helped organize the protest.
The protest organizers see this case as an example of the death of a aboriginal woman being mishandled by the system.
“We just want Canadians to know, we want them to take the time to find out who Cindy Gladue is and hopefully gain some insight into the challenges that the indigenous community faces in getting justice within our court system,” says Barbara Levesque, who was involved in organizing the demonstration.
Levesque would like to see the verdict appealed.
However, Barton’s lawyers calls the verdict sound and fair and says his client didn’t get away with murder.
Dino Bottos points out the Vernon protesters did not sit through the whole trial and hear all the evidence.
He contends if people knew what happened in court they would agree the verdict was fair and reasonable.
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