Native Women’s Advocate Reacts To Picton Trial
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at 15:02
A community activist in Prince Albert says she’s not sure whether all the media exposure over the Robert Picton murder trial is helping or hindering the struggle to protect Aboriginal women from violence.
Sandy Pitzel of the Community Against Family Violence, says one thing the trial does underline is that the issue can’t be ignored — no matter where you live in Canada
She says it raises the profile of the issue much like Amnesty International did a few years ago with its “Stolen Sisters” report.
Pitzel also says she wishes the term “stolen sisters” was used more often in cases like the Picton trial, because she feels it places more value on the lives that were lost than simply saying “sex-trade workers”.
Picton is accused of killing 26 women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. His first-degree murder trial on six of those charges began earlier this week in New Westminster.