Latest news with #Hinkson
Global News
2 days ago
- Global News
Anger after B.C. man acquitted in sex assault case because he was high on drugs
WARNING: This story may be triggering to some readers. Discretion is advised. Battered Women's Support Services (BWSS) is expressing deep concern over the recent acquittal of a man who attacked a woman in 2019 while under the influence of magic mushrooms and cannabis. Leon-Jamal Barrett was charged with break and enter to commit the indictable offence of sexual assault, sexual assault, resisting or wilfully obstructing a peace officer in the execution of their duties, and public nudity, all concerning a bizarre series of events that occurred in the early morning hours of March 9, 2019, in Surrey. The public nudity charge was stayed before trial. In a ruling posted online in March, Judge Hinkson said this was an unusual case. 'There is no doubt as to whether or not Mr. Barrett did what he is accused of,' Hinkson wrote. Story continues below advertisement However, Barrett was acquitted on all charges as the judge ruled he was too high on mushrooms to know what he was doing when he violently attacked a stranger. Barrett described a complex hallucination from the mushrooms in which he concluded that humanity was corrupt and destined to be punished. 'He was fixated on a belief that all life had started from one cell splitting into two and that he was a descendant of half of that cell,' Hinkson wrote. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'He believed God was commanding him to find the other half, a woman chosen by God, and that God would sacrifice both of them during an act of sexual congress in order to save humanity.' 2:16 Violent assault prompts Vancouver police to issue warning to women When a woman did not come to his house, Barrett left his home and that's when he saw the victim getting out of her car and go around the back of her house. Story continues below advertisement The victim testified that Barrett pushed her down and assaulted her. She was able to get into her house and lock the door, eventually attracting the attention of neighbours who called the police. Barrett was found not criminally responsible with Hinkson accepting the defence of automatism, or actions performed without conscious thought or intention. 'This ruling is devastating. It tells survivors that their pain is real, but their pursuit of justice may be futile,' Angela Marie MacDougall, executive director of BWSS said in a statement. 'This woman fought for her life — biting, screaming, resisting — and yet the legal system sided with the man who harmed her, because he chose to get high. We cannot allow intoxication to become a shield from responsibility when it comes to sexual violence.' In 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, which had previously barred the use of extreme intoxication as a defence in cases involving sexual assault. Parliament later amended that decision, but it did not apply in Barrett's case. 2:10 Kelowna sex offender's release questioned 'Survivors are retraumatized by a system that finds ways to explain away violence rather than confront it,' said Johanne Lamoureux, Manager of Community-Based Response at BWSS. Story continues below advertisement 'Our front-line teams hear every day how deeply unsafe and re-traumatizing the criminal system is for those who come forward. When the courts uphold the 'moral innocence' of perpetrators, it reinforces why so many survivors never report in the first place.' BWSS is now calling for an immediate federal review of how amended Section 33.1 is being applied, and whether further reforms are needed to uphold survivor rights and public education that makes clear that intoxication is not an excuse for violence.
Vancouver Sun
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. government appoints former chief justice to review festival safety measures after Lapu Lapu attack
The B.C. government has appointed a former chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court to report on safety measures for event organizers and police after 11 people were killed in a vehicle attack in Vancouver. Premier David Eby said on Wednesday that Christopher Hinkson has agreed to serve as commissioner to conduct the review 'in a very short period of time.' Eby said Hinkson is expected to report by June 30 to help guide event organizers across B.C. to 'maximize safety,' while not retreating from the fact that people want to get together and celebrate. The premier said he knows there is a lot of anxiety from organizers and those planning to attend events this summer and that they have questions about security, so he's glad that Hinkson is willing to take on the job. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, faces eight counts of second-degree murder after an SUV rammed into a crowd on April 26. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Hinkson will speak with experts to understand what the best safety practices for events might be. 'I have every confidence in him that he has the tools and skills available to be discerning and to use his best judgment to understand how we can produce a really good product for British Columbia,' said Sharma. Event planner Laura Ballance, who has organized thousands of events in B.C., said the Lapu Lapu festival attack is an unimaginable tragedy, but it's also important to understand that such 'lone wolf' attacks are difficult to prevent. She said security and safety have always been the top priority for event organizers, and safety measures also occupy a very large portion of their budgets. Ballance said she is worried about rationalizing the acts of a 'madman' by implementing a one-size-fits-all security policy for events. It would make many events financially out of reach, and could reduce Vancouver's 2,000 events a year down to just 12, she said. 'And we will lose our city and the soul and the culture and the creativity and the connectivity,' she added. Ballance said event organizers can always implement more security procedures, but if a person is willing to die or go to prison for a bad cause, 'there is very little' that any amount of security can do. Conservative Opposition Leader John Rustad said Wednesday that there was no doubt about the safety issues at the Lapu Lapu festival, but the 'real issue at core here is the mental-health issue.' Rustad said there are many questions about how someone who suffers from such mental-health troubles can have a driver's licence and gain access to a vehicle that they later use for a weapon. Rustad said the current mental-health system is failing the people in B.C. by putting them at risk. Sharma said they won't make the recommendations from Hinkson's report mandatory but as guidelines. 'We'll encourage local decision-makers to take a look at those best practices and think about how they incorporate that into their processes,' she said. With files from Wolfgang Depner
Hamilton Spectator
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
B.C. government appoints former chief justice to review festival safety measures
The British Columbia government has appointed a former chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court to report on safety measures for event organizers and police after 11 people were killed in a vehicle attack in Vancouver. Premier David Eby said on Wednesday that Christopher Hinkson has agreed to serve as commissioner to conduct the review 'in a very short period of time.' Eby said Hinkson is expected to report back by June 30 to help guide event organizers across B.C. to 'maximize safety,' while not retreating from the fact that people want to get together and celebrate. The premier said he knows there is a lot of anxiety from organizers and those planning to attend events this summer and that they have questions about security, so he's glad that Hinkson is willing to take on the job. Adam Kai-Ji Lo, 30, faces eight counts of second-degree murder for the alleged ramming attack on April 26 and police have said more charges are likely. B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said Hinkson will speak with experts to understand what the best safety practices for events might be. 'I have every confidence in him that he has the tools and skills available to be discerning and to use his best judgment to understand how we can produce a really good product for British Columbia,' said Sharma. Event planner Laura Ballance, who has organized thousands of events in B.C., said the Lapu Lapu festival attack is an unimaginable tragedy, but it's also important to understand that such 'lone wolf' attacks are difficult to prevent. She said security and safety have always been the top priority for event organizers, and safety measures also occupy a very large portion of their budgets. Ballance said she is worried about rationalizing the acts of a 'madman' by implementing a one-size-fits-all security policy for events. It would make many events financially out of reach, and could reduce Vancouver's 2,000 events a year down to 12, she said. 'And we will lose our city and the soul and the culture and the creativity and the connectivity,' she added. Ballance said event organizers can always implement more security procedures, but if a person is willing to die or go to prison for a bad cause, 'there is very little' that any amount of security can do. Conservative Opposition Leader John Rustad said Wednesday that there was no doubt about the safety issues at the Lapu Lapu festival, but the 'real issue at core here is the mental-health issue.' Rustad said there are many questions about how someone who suffers from such mental-health troubles can have a driver's licence and gain access to a vehicle that they later use for a weapon. Rustad said the current mental-health system is failing the people in B.C. by putting them at risk. The B.C. government has said Lo was under the care of a mental-health team when he's alleged to have driven an SUV through the crowd at the Lapu Lapu festival. A judge in his case has ordered that he undergo a mental-health assessment to determine if he is fit to stand trial. Sharma said they won't make the guidelines from Hinkson's report mandatory but the suggestions can be seen as a guideline. 'We'll encourage local decision makers to take a look at those best practices and think about how they incorporate that into their processes,' she said. Please continue to do the important work that you do in your community by bringing people together, Sharma said in a message to event organizers. — With files from Wolfgang Depner This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 7, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
B.C. government appoints former chief justice review festival safety measures
The British Columbia government has appointed a former chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court to report on safety measures for event organizers and police after 11 people were killed in a vehicle attack in Vancouver. Premier David Eby says Christopher Hinkson has agreed to serve as commissioner to conduct the review 'in a very short period of time.' Eby says Hinkson is expected to report back by June 30 to help guide event organizers across B.C. to 'maximize safety,' while not retreating from the fact that people want to get together and celebrate. Liberal Leader Mark Carney hugs Mable Elmore, MLA for Vancouver Kensington, as they visit a memorial for the Lapu Lapu Day block party tragedy in Vancouver, B.C., on Sunday, April 27, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick The premier says he knows there is a lot of anxiety from organizers and those planning to attend events this summer and that they have questions about security, so he's glad that Hinkson is willing to take on the job. Event planner Laura Ballance, who has organized thousands events in B.C., says the Lapu Lapu festival attack is an unimaginable tragedy, but it's also important to understand that such 'lone wolf' attacks are difficult to prevent. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up She says security and safety have always been the top priority of event organizers, and safety measures also occupy a very large portion of their budgets. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May, 7, 2025.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Piedmont Triad mom helps boys prepare for college
(WGHP) — Felicia Crouch enjoys guiding minority boys on the skills it takes to stand out. 'If you're going to get into these … these universities, you've got to set yourself apart,' she said. It's an important observation that comes from her more than two decades of experience in the pharmaceutical, medical, marketing and sales industries, especially as a mom to two sons. 'I really started to think about how do we change that trajectory. How do we begin to make an imprint in this corporate space young for minority boys,' Felicia said. She is the creator and founder of the Masters League Foundation for Boys – a 501(c)(3) Christian philanthropy organization focused on preparing minority boys to become future leaders. 'It is Winston-Salem's first and only leadership and development program for both the public and private school sectors,' Felicia said. 'That was a major piece for me: him being able to participate with … other young men that look like him, especially with him being in a private school where … there were very few Black and brown young men that were around him,' Nicole Morris said. Morris' son Kemar Hinkson is a member of the inaugural group along with Felicia's son Grayson Crouch. 'As the year went on, we kind of grew together as brothers. The unity was great,' Hinkson said. 'We're not used to being in boardrooms in suits … As we kept doing it month by month, we got used to it. It's kind of like second nature to us now,' Grayson said. The high school boys in 10th grade through 12th grade commit to a 10-month leadership program where participants meet for two hours one Saturday a month. They often meet in a boardroom setting. 'We not only bring the CEOs into the space … We also want to take them back to their spaces,' Felicia said. 'The Masters League gave me the opportunity to take an internship with DAVENPORT Engineering here in Winston-Salem, so that just really opened my eyes toward civil engineering,' Grayson said. Hinkson says the skills he's learned through participating in the YMCA's Youth & Government have been invaluable. 'I just love how we came together, and we got our bill passed, so that was really great. I love that,' he said. Morris says the investment has been worth it. 'I'm a middle school counselor … One of the pieces that I saw right off the bat was that there was a level of excellence that I have yet to see in other programs,' she said. 'We're in a space where you need to be extraordinary and that is our goal: … take each student from mediocrity to extraordinary in everything they do,' Felicia said. Registration is open for the 2025-2026 session. Details are available on the organization's website. The Masters League's goal is to touch the lives of more than 20,000 students in the next five years. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
