HALIFAX – Nova Scotia RCMP say an internal investigation is underway after reports that a Mountie left a message on a woman’s phone making light of her domestic assault complaint.
RCMP Chief Superintendent Brian Brennan issued an apology yesterday and said the comments were unprofessional and unacceptable.
Joanne Bernard, Nova Scotia’s minister responsible for the Status of Women Act, says the incident underscores the need for cultural changes within the justice system.
She says the provincial government will need to continue efforts to educate professionals who deal with violence against women.
CBC Nova Scotia posted on its website what it said was a message left on the woman’s voice mail.
In it, a man is heard saying — quote — “so did she deserve to get hit?” — before laughing.
Brennan says the woman’s complaint about domestic abuse stemmed from an incident that happened after she went to retrieve her cellphone from her partner in the Springhill area.
He says the call that was recorded on the woman’s voice mail came after her number was inadvertently dialled from a Mountie’s phone while it was in his pocket.
Comments