Rehtaeh Parsons’ father is relieved that no one will be prosecuted for identifying her in the context of a high profile, child pornography case in the eastern province of Nova Scotia. Both parents opposed a ban on her name on the grounds it stifled debate about what happened to their daughter.
Parsons was 17 when she tried to take her own life and later died in hospital. One young man plead guilty to distributing a sexually graphic image of her and will be sentenced in January. A second young man was given a conditional discharge for making child pornography.
The judge in the case was obliged to ban the use of Parsons’ name because Canadian criminal law protects the identities of minors. However, the judge noted the prosecution could decide to not prosecute if the ban was broken.
Today, the Nova Scotia attorney general said no one would be prosecuted for naming her, unless it was in a derogatory manner.
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.