The former partner of a Calgary real estate mogul is speaking out regarding an assault charge the man is facing.
The alleged victim says she is speaking out in hopes of encouraging others to do the same.
“I understand the bravery and the strength it takes to make that 911 call. I am living all of the fears that every victim has,” said Calgary woman Kate Abbott on Monday.
Abbott made that 911 call in the early morning hours of Nov. 28, 2021.
She said she suffered bruising, a fractured tooth and torn ligaments that night. She alleges it was the result of an assault by her former partner Riaz Mamdani.
Police charged him with common assault.
When the case first went to court in January, Mamdani’s lawyer issued the following statement to the media.
“The complainant’s allegations against Mr. Mamdani are unfounded and part of a campaign to obtain a financial windfall from the breakdown of a casual personal relationship,” defence counsel Cory Wilson said.
A spokesperson for Mamdani said on Monday the statement that was issued by his lawyer in January still stands.
“It shattered me at a time when I did not think I could be broken any further,” Abbott said.
Abbott said she and Mamdani had been together for four years. The Calgary lawyer said she’s reluctantly going public to stand up for her reputation and to provide a message for women going through domestic abuse.
“I have been lucky in my life. I’ve had a good education. I come from a loving family. I had options and this happened to me. And it can happen to anyone,” Abbott said.
Andrea Silverstone is the CEO of Sagesse, a domestic violence prevention organization. She said women hearing statements that brush off their claims can stop them from coming forward.
“We know that for someone to speak out and talk about their experience of victimization is a really hard thing and I think that we as a society have an obligation to say, ‘How can we support you?'” Silverstone said.
“I think anytime barriers are put up in front of victims of domestic violence who try to speak about their experience, as soon as a barrier is put up, that makes a person think, ‘Should I even report it?'”
Mamdani is a Calgary businessman and philanthropist. The Strategic Group CEO was a victim of a near fatal shooting in front of his Mount Royal home in 2016.
He was shot six times.
Police called the targeted attack an attempted murder.
No arrests have ever been made in that case.
The allegations against Mamdani have not been proven in court and the case is scheduled to go to court again next week.
Comments