Review into police, prosecution service’s actions in Parsons case resumes

HALIFAX – A review of how police and Nova Scotia’s Public Prosecution Service initially handled the Rehtaeh Parsons case is resuming.

Murray Segal will give an update on the review today after delaying it in November 2013 until legal proceedings involving two men charged in the matter concluded.

Police charged the men with child pornography offences just four days before Segal, a former chief prosecutor of Ontario, was appointed in August 2013.

A 20-year-old man pleaded guilty last November to distributing a sexually graphic image of Parsons, who was 15 years old at the time of the offence.

Another 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to making child pornography by taking a photo of the accused having sex with Parsons, who was taken off life-support after attempting suicide in 2013.

Both men were youths at the time of the offence and were charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Parsons’s family alleged she was sexually assaulted in November 2011 and bullied for months after a digital photo of the alleged assault was passed around her school.

Police said they looked into the allegations of sexual assault and an inappropriate photo, but concluded there weren’t enough grounds to lay charges after consulting with the prosecution service.

The child pornography charges were laid after Parsons died.