[Viva] Fwd: Edmonton Teenager Girl with HIV

[Denise Becker]

Richard has allowed me to pass this on to you.  I think you will see the
current situation.
Denise

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Elliott <relliott at aidslaw.ca>
Date: Wed, Aug 10, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Subject: RE: Edmonton Teenager Girl with HIV
To: Denise Becker <dbecker106 at gmail.com>
Cc: Janet Butler-McPhee <JButler at aidslaw.ca>, Cecile Kazatchkine <
ckazatchkine at aidslaw.ca>, Vajdon Sohaili <vsohaili at aidslaw.ca>


Hi Denise****

** **

In response, a few things:****

** **

**1.     **We’ve been doing quite a bit of media commentary criticizing the
police conduct here – CTV Edmonton, CBC TV (local and national), Edmonton
Journal, Edson Leader (town where she was eventually arrested), Toronto Star
and more.  HIV Edmonton has also been speaking out and was in court to show
support for her.****

** **

**2.     **She was denied bail yesterday; reported in media yesterday and
today.****

** **

**3.     **There is a publication ban on further details (including her
identity, although obviously it’s a bit late for that).  We don’t know more
details at this point, since we weren’t in court.  I do know that one
journalist who has written about this and is very sympathetic to her wrote
to me afterward saying that she couldn’t provide details but having heard
what she heard in court, she feels even more badly than she did before for
this young woman.****

** **

**4.     **We are in touch with her defence counsel to offer assistance;
she’s grateful to have it and we’ll be talking further as things move along
in the process.  I’ve asked if there is any prospect of appealing the
decision to deny bail, although that’s usually hard to succeed with.****

** **

**5.     **Great that you and others want to support her.  She’ll need it, I
think.****

**a.     **I’ll ask my colleague Vajdon to compile all the media clippings
we have so far and send them to you.  (Vajdon, please don’t include the
original Edmonton Police Service release with her name and photo, for
obvious reasons.)****

**b.    **I would suggest that a letter to the editor of all major Alberta
newspapers from a group of HIV+ women would be very powerful – in fact, I’d
suggest you pitch a full op-ed to them.****

**c.     **It’s actually the Edmonton Police Service (not the RCMP) that did
all this, so your letter should go to them.  Perhaps you even want to rework
it (if need be) as an “open letter” and then try to get that published in
newspapers as your op-ed piece?  About 700-800 words is a suitable length
for such things.****

** **

Would sure be great if it wasn’t just the Legal Network and HIV Edmonton
speaking out, but also groups of PLHIV (and in particular of women living
with HIV).****

** **

After today, I’ll be away for a few weeks (as will Janet after this week),
with only occasional email access, but I’m copying here my colleagues,
including Cécile Kazatchkine here in our office, who knows this issue of
criminalization very well.****

** **

Best.****

Richard****

** **

*From:* Denise Becker [mailto:dbecker106 at gmail.com]
*Sent:* August 10, 2011 12:08 PM
*To:* Richard Elliott
*Subject:* Edmonton Teenager Girl with HIV****

** **

Is there anymore information on the teenager that you can tell me?  I have
heard she is being held without bail and that a third accuser has come
forward.  I have also heard that there will be a media blackout on the case.
****

** **

I have been emailing with the women of VIVA, the group of positive women
here in BC, and there are some members who are very upset about the girl's
face being shown and they want to help her in whatever way they can - just
support from other positive women.  I have thought about a letter being
written to newspapers (Ottawa Citizen?) and other women have already written
to Edmonton RCMP about revealing the girl's photo.****

** **

How are you proceeding and do you know any more facts about the case?****

** **

Denise****
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