Guelph Police Mark International Women's Day by Sexually Assaulting Anti-Poverty Protester
*** please forward widely ***+
Guelph police sexually assault female arrestee to mark
international Women’s Day
Please help!
Write, call, fax, email the Guelph police chief Robert
Davis on Monday March 13th, to let him know you are
outraged and that sexual assault will not be
tolerated. An example of points to raise and the
details of the incident are below.
Please state that:
"On March 8, 2006 Nicole Freeborn attended a GUTS
protest at the OHRT and was sexually assaulted by
Officer B. Welsh, Badge #107. He held her against a
wall, thrust his pelvis into her bum, and asked her
"how do you like that?" We demand that the Guelph
Police and Officer B. Welsh make a public apology to
Ms. Freeborn, GUTS, and the public at large. We
demand that Officer B. Welsh be fired immediately. We
demand that all charges and tickets relating to March
8, 2006 at the OHRT be dropped immediately. You, the
Guelph Police, sicken, disgust, and outrage me. It
baffles me how you sleep at night."
15 Wyndham St S
Guelph, ON N1H 4C6
Phone: 519-824-1212 ext 220,
Fax: 519-822-0949,
Email: robert.davis@police.guelph.on.ca
Guelph police sexually assault female arrestee to mark
international Women’s Day
On March 8, 2006, International Women’s Day, a Guelph
cop, Officer B. Welsh (#107), assaulted a female
protestor, Nicole Freeborn, before arresting her at a
protest at the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal (OHRT).
Officer Welsh pinned Ms. Freeborn’s arms behind her
back and then pushed his pelvis into her bottom,
asking, “so how do you like that?” The people who
witnessed the assault immediately began yelling to the
other cops present, hotel guests and passersby that he
had just sexually assaulted her and demanded that she
be released. One witness, Veronica, yelled “you just
sexually assaulted my friend” to which Officer Welsh
responded “whatever.”
Witnesses asked other cops nearby, including the lone
female officer, if they were going to let him get away
with this. One officer responded by smiling and
shrugging. Female police officer Ashley Carr was
witness to the assault and looked very uncomfortable
but refused to answer any direct questions from other
protestors or intervene. After the assault, Officer
Welsh led Freeborn outside the hotel while witnesses
followed alongside. The witnesses continued to
confront him and requested other officers or witnesses
help. Once outside, Welsh requested Officer Carr be
called to transport Ms. Freeborn. She was then
transported by Officer Carr to the station. On route,
Officer Carr initially refused to identify the cop who
had assaulted her, demanding to know why she wanted
his name. Officer Carr finally stated his last name
was Welsh.
At no time were Ms. Freeborn’s rights read to her
during the arrest process. After extensive
questioning in the car and police station, a male
officer entered the room and asked if she had been
read her rights. Ms. Freeborn responded in the
negative. Officer Carr who had been questioning and
processing her then did so, and offered her the chance
to call a lawyer. At various times, Ms. Freeborn was
left in the detention room with a lone male officer,
who continued to question her in Officer Carr’s
absence.
Before being released from the police station, the
supervising officer came into the room and asked if
Ms. Freeborn had any complaints or concerns about the
arrest. Freeborn states: “I was got really scared and
anxious at this point. There had been 1 or 2 cops in
the room with me at any point until this, but there
were now 4 cops in the small room. I hesitated but
said yes, I do have a complaint and explained what had
happened and the officer’s name who assaulted me. The
supervisor got red and looked annoyed but he didn’t
really say anything in response. I didn’t say I was
planning on following up because I was really scared
and I just wanted to get out of there. The 4
uniformed cops filled up the tiny room and blocked me
in there. I was really intimidated and intent on
getting out of there and to a safe place.”
This is absolutely disgraceful conduct. If Officer
Welsh will assault a woman in public while in uniform,
what will he do to women when there are no witnesses
around? Women in this society face daily violence at
the hands of their partners and friends, as well as on
the streets. Police pretend they are here to help
women escape violence, yet it is they who perpetrate
this sexualized violence on women. Sexualized
violence from men in this position of authority is
particularly grievous. Other women at the protest
were singled out by the male officers and addressed as
“sweetie” and told they were too “pretty” for this
[protesting].
We demand that the Guelph Police and Officer B. Welsh
make a public apology to Ms. Freeborn, GUTS, and the
public at large. We demand that Officer B. Welsh be
fired immediately. We demand that all charges and
tickets relating to March 8, 2006 at the OHRT be
dropped immediately.
Please help!
Write, call, fax, email, the Guelph police chief
Robert Davis on Monday March 13th, to let him know you
are outraged and that sexual assault will not be
tolerated.
15 Wyndham St S
Guelph, ON N1H 4C6
Phone: 519-824-1212 ext 220,
Fax: 519-822-0949,
Email: robert.davis@police.guelph.on.ca
For further information, reply to
guelphunionoftenants@yahoo.ca or call (519) 830-8743.
GUTS
Guelph Union of Tenants and Supporters
guelphunionoftenants@yahoo.ca
www.guelphtenants.com
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fuck the police
Sex assault allegation probed
MAGDA KONIECZNA
GUELPH (Mar 14, 2006)
The chief of police is conducting an internal investigation into allegations of sexual assault by a Guelph officer against a member of the Guelph Union of Tenants and Supporters, known as GUTS.
GUTS member Nicole Freeborn alleges she was assaulted while she and four others were being arrested during a protest at a hearing of the Ontario Rental and Housing Tribunal last Wednesday.
The group disrupted the tribunal, which was conducting eviction hearings at the Holiday Inn on Scottsdale Drive. They were demanding an increase in social assistance rates.
She says she told police of the allegation, but has yet to file a formal complaint.
But Chief Rob Davis said the allegations are serious enough that they merit investigation.
"They are raising allegations serious enough to cause me concern," he said.
"I have requested an internal investigation commence. We'll see what comes of the investigation," the chief said. "At this point, (the allegations) are totally unfounded."
For an official investigation under the Police Services Act, the complainant needs to file a complaint personally, Davis said.
The chief said the investigation isn't centred on individual officers.
"The focus of the investigation at this point is to determine if, in fact, anything unlawful occurred. Once that question has been addressed the investigators will have a better idea of where their next steps will take them and who, if anyone, will be the focus of their investigation," Davis said via e-mail.
Davis said the investigating officer will talk to people who were at the protest, both from GUTS and from the police service, to determine what actually happened.
Davis wasn't able to say how long that will take.
GUTS sent out e-mail messages yesterday asking people to contact the chief "to let him know you are outraged."
The chief said yesterday afternoon he had received about 50 phone calls, e-mail messages and faxes. He was busy replying to each one.
Freeborn said she plans to file criminal charges and launch a civil case, but wants the police to take immediate action.
"Any sort of legal process is going to take months or years," she said.
mkonieczna@guelphmercury.com
This is outrageous!!! So
This is outrageous!!! So this is why many people don't trust the Police, they have good reasons to do that. In my country policemen share flowers for mothers on such special occasions. I am not saying they are all good people, but they least respect a woman on Womens day. Officer B should the severely charged for this gesture.