‘I miss her terribly’: father of Rehtaeh Parsons reflects a year after her death

HALIFAX – A year after the death of Nova Scotia teenager Rehtaeh Parsons, her father says he is glad to see more being done for victims of sexual assault.

Glen Canning told Global News he feels his daughter’s story has helped pave the way for a more serious discussion about sexual assault in society.

“If we had remained quiet with Rehtaeh’s story, then none of this conversation would have been happening,” he said. “You just never know who you’re going to help. You may even save somebody’s life, which is a wonderful thing.”

To mark sexual assault awareness month, police officers are wearing white ribbons. They’re also promoting the campaign message “Be More Than a Bystander.”

Parsons was 17 when she was taken off life-support after attempting suicide in April 2013.

“I miss her terribly. This Friday morning last year was just absolutely, absolutely a nightmare for me” said Canning.

Parsons’ family alleges she was sexually assaulted by four boys in November 2011 and then bullied for months after a digital photo of the alleged assault was passed around her school in Halifax.

Police said they looked into the allegations of sexual assault and an inappropriate photo but after consulting with the province’s Public Prosecution Service, they concluded there weren’t enough grounds to lay charges.

Canning carries his daughter’s memory with him everywhere, and even has her name tattooed on his right wrist.

“Myself and Rehtaeh had a very, very close relationship,” Canning said. “I don’t know if it’s rare to have a daughter that communicates so often with her father.”

Since Parsons’ death, sexual assault has become a major topic of discussion across the country.

The centre was already over capacity before Parsons’ death. Since then, the waiting list for services like counseling has more than doubled.

“We had a wait list of four to six months, and in the past year, that has grown to 11 to 12 months,” Stevens said.

In February, the centre received its highest number of new clients in its 17-year history.

“It’s not just a policing issue, it’s a whole of community issue and we all need to take responsibility for that,” said RCMP Chief Superintendent Roland Wells.

Despite being short staffed, The Avalon Sexual Assault Centre is encouraging everyone to report sexual assaults and seek counselling.

“You shouldn’t just be witnessing things and then saying ‘I should have done something,'” said Wells. “You have to be more than a bystander.”

*with files from The Canadian Press