HALIFAX — It’s being alleged that a sexual assault took place on Nov. 1 at a frat house in downtown Halifax.
Anonymous, the group known for identifying previous crimes of sexual nature, is also weighing in on the case.
Halifax Regional Police confirm that a sexual assault investigation commenced on Nov. 1 but concluded without any charges. That’s because the victim in the case did not wish to proceed with the police investigation.
“We respect her wishes,” said Theresa Rath, spokesperson, Halifax Regional Police. “Because of this, we don’t have the necessary details provided by the victim to allow us to investigate.”
To investigate a sexual assault, police say they need to obtain a statement directly from the victim, which would provide details such as when and where the assault occurred, the name of the person responsible or a suspect description if possible.
“We work closely with victims to ensure they’re willing to proceed with a police investigation,” Rath tells Global News. “Sexual assaults are extremely traumatizing for victims and for this reason, it’s not uncommon for them to decide not to proceed with an investigation.”
Jackie Stevens, the executive director with the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre says if there is a personal connection between the victim and offender, some victims may prefer to keep the offender unknown to protect their own and their family’s privacy.
In this case, it’s believed both the alleged victim and the alleged suspect are university students, but the alleged incident did not take place on a university campus, rather a frat house.
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Stevens says sexual assaults on or near university campuses are not always formally reported and universities are not consistently tracking those that are.
Normally, when a report is made to police and charges are not laid, the case would not be brought to the attention of the media, but these allegations are now being made public. That’s because the group Anonymous posted a three-minute video online, publicly naming the man who they allege committed the assault.
This isn’t the first time Anonymous has uploaded a video releasing the identity of someone suspected of sexual assault in Halifax.
“The creator of this video has acted extremely irresponsibly,” Rath explained. “They have relayed third-hand information as fact, and have identified a person, as well as members of his family, and accused him of an offence that has not been investigated and tested in court.”
In 2013, the group publicly identified four young men who were alleged to be involved in the sexual assault of Rehtaeh Parsons.
Parsons’ family allege she was sexually assaulted by as many as four teenage boys in November of 2011. A photo of the alleged assault was taken and distributed online and at her Cole Harbour school. The 17-year-old took her own life in 2013.
Glen Canning, Parsons’ father, has said in the past that he believes Anonymous getting involved in his daughter’s case prompted police to reopen their investigation.
David Fraser, a privacy lawyer with McInnis Cooper, says this kind of action is “vigilante justice that has moved on to the internet”.
While Fraser says he is sympathetic and appreciates the sentiment behind Anonymous wanting to help, there is “too high a risk of naming the wrong person and destroying their life.”
Fraser says an allegation like this is stigmatizing and that the internet never forgets.
“That will always be associated with their name,” Fraser tells Global News of the online accusations.
Jackie Stevens says the decision to publicly hold sexual perpetrators accountable by naming them is individual to each victim/survivor.
Despite not wanting to speak to investigators following the alleged sexual assault incident, Halifax Police say the case isn’t closed.
“If at any time she decides to proceed with an investigation, we will investigate fully and do everything in our power to hold the perpetrator accountable,” Rath said.
Police say they are aware of the online video posted by Anonymous and are not investigating it.
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