More than six years after her murder, and on what would have been her 26th birthday, an emotional crowd gathered at Simon Fraser University to screen a a documentary about the life and death of Maple Batalia.
But this year, the memorial for the slain teen took on new new meaning as friends and family joined with supporters of another murder victim, nightclub worker Kalwinder ‘Kris’ Thind, to call for an end to the culture of silence around violent crime.
Titled Remembering Maple, the film recounts how the 19-year-old health sciences student and aspiring model and actress was gunned down in an SFU parking lot in 2011, the public outrage that ensued and the five-year effort to bring her killers to justice.
Batalia’s ex-boyfriend Gary Dhaliwal was eventually found guilty of second degree murder and sentenced to 21 years in prison. His accomplice, Gursimar Bedi, who the court heard was the “eyes and ears” of the operation, was sentenced to 18 months in jail last January.
WATCH: Documenting the life and death of Maple Batalia
“It’s become really emotional to explain to you about her not being alive with us,” Maple’s father Harry Batalia told Global News. “This is truly something turned against us by nature, by human error, or somebody’s mistakes, that we have to be tortured for.
“Every moment, whatever she ate, what she did, how she came from her studies, how she wished her parents… I miss everything.”
After the screening, friends and family spoke about the pain of losing Maple, and their ongoing fight to end youth violence in Metro Vancouver.
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Ending the culture of silence
In fact, the Batalias share a painful link with another grieving Metro Vancouver family. One of Maple’s cousins, Simran Bhullar, was brother-in-law to Kris Thind, who was killed outside a Granville Strip nightclub in January.
Both families used the screening to call for witnesses and those involved in Thind’s death to come forward.
“All of us, we lost our little brother. If people aren’t coming forward, that’s ridiculous to us,” said Bhullar.
“I understand people are scared and they don’t want to get involved, or maybe they feel like they will be thought of as part of the problem, but that’s not the case. Come forward and be a part of the solution,” said Thind’s sister Jessica.
“It’s hard. It’s really hard. There’s no words. Everything has changed.”
The pain — both of losing a family member, and the drawn-out search for justice is all too familiar to the Batalia family.
WATCH: Nightclub worker killed on Granville Street in Vancouver
Maple’s sister Rosie recounted how in the years after her sister’s death she wasn’t able to find closure because her emotional energy was caught up in the killers’ long trial. She said her goal is to prevent other families from going through the same ordeal.
“We are putting our foot down. Enough discussion has happened. As I speak to you today, we have lost another, an innocent life to violence,” said Rosie. “We’re never going to get my sister Maple or Kris back. People need to realize we’re coming back to empty homes, we’re coming back to a life that will never come back.
“I need a fix. We need to save lives, and we need to continue this and turn it into action. When you go home today, or wherever you are, these people… you guys need to speak up.”
It was a message echoed by her father Harry.
“You feel very angry, you get upset. You get no relief when nothing is coming up. If you are a human, you should come forward. You must come forward and say, ‘I did this, it was my mistake,’ or whatever.”
Five people were arrested in relation to Thind’s death, but no charges have been laid. The 23-year-old died in hospital after being stabbed while trying to break up a fight outside the Cabana Lounge on Jan. 27.
Police have called for anyone with video of the incident, or who saw it took place to come forward.
Thind’s death has also renewed calls for better security along the Granville Strip, including improved transit and the widespread use of CCTV security cameras.
-With files from Sonia Deol
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