Calgary woman charged with manslaughter in relation to 2019 domestic incident

A Calgary woman has been charged with manslaughter in relation to the death of a man found on a CTrain platform in February 2019.

According to police, officers were called to the Heritage CTrain station at about 10 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2019, after someone reported a couple being passed out on the platform.

When officers got there, they found a man in medical distress who was rushed to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

A woman at the scene was also taken to hospital from the scene as a precaution but was released soon after.

Through the course of the investigation, police have determined the man, identified as 29-year-old Calgarian Benjamin Rain, died as a result of a “violent domestic incident.”

Mae Tollow, also 29, was arrested on Tuesday and has been charged with one count of manslaughter in relation to Rain’s death. Investigators believe Tollow was Rain’s girlfriend.

“In complex cases like this one, it can take a while to gather the evidence needed to piece together what happened,” Staff Sgt. Colin Chisholm said. “Hopefully this can bring some closure to Mr. Rain’s family.”

Reminder of supports available

Rain’s death is believed to be the eighth domestic homicide of the year for 2019, and according to the police, while most domestic violence victims are women, about one in five of Calgary’s cases have male victims.

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The CPS said anyone experiencing violence in either a family or intimate relationship are encouraged to reach out as “these harmful behaviours often become worse over time.”

“If someone is experiencing domestic abuse or violence, the best time to reach out for help is right now,” Chisholm said. “We have strong supports in our city for both victims and abusers to help change the course of a relationship before things escalate further.”

People can access the supports offered by a number of agencies by calling 211, the Connect Family and Family & Sexual Abuse Network at either 1-877-237-5888 (for sexual abuse) or 403-234-7233 (for domestic abuse).

Domestic violence victims can also contact Calgary police any time through the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or by calling 911 if they’re in immediate danger.