Christina Spicer  |  January 28, 2020

Category: Legal News

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crime scene tape and police car regarding lawsuit against halifax regional policeHalifax police department is facing a lawsuit claiming that a rape investigation was so badly botched it amounted to negligence on the part of the police force.

Carrie Low, who was named in a CBC News report on the matter, alleges that the Halifax police, specifically the sexual assault unit, exhibited “reckless indifference” when it came to investigating her kidnapping and rape report to the authorities. Low says that the police department worked to stymie the investigation from the beginning, leading to months of miscommunications, delays and confusion. A lawyer for Low plans to file a lawsuit seeking damages against the Halifax Regional Municipality, the province and the federal government. The lawsuit accuses Halifax Regional Police and RCMP of negligence.

According to CBC News, Low says she reported to the Halifax police that two men raped her in May of 2018. Low allegedly reported that she was kidnapped from a bar and taken to a camper where she was raped by multiple men.

According to the lawsuit, Low’s is not the only case that was negligently mishandled by the Halifax police. Low says that senior officers in the sexual assault unit referred to her as “drunk” and a “liar.” According to the Halifax police negligence lawsuit, Low accuses the department of systemic problems that lead to emotional trauma for survivors of sexual assault.

In a Sept. 13, 2019 article released by CBC News, Low told reporters that her case was botched by the Halifax police from the beginning. According to the plaintiff, when she went to the hospital after allegedly being raped, she asked for it to be reported to the police.

Low told CBC News that a police officer happened to be at the hospital when she was there. She says that he began asking her questions about the incident right in the hospital room. Low says that a nurse stopped the officer, telling him that rape victims were not questioned at the hospital, but at the police stations.

According to the Halifax police negligence lawsuit the problems continued. Though the Halifax police said that Low’s clothes from that night, collected as evidence at the hospital, would be picked up by the police the same day, Low told CBC News that it took 10 days before they were picked up. In addition, Low says that she was able to provide the address of where she was raped and told the police that more of her items could be found there, officers reportedly never went to the scene.

According to the Halifax police negligence lawsuit, Low’s case was mishandled for 18 months. Low alleges in her lawsuit that the original officer assigned to her case was told by senior officers to “shut it down,” though no reason to end the investigation was ever provided. 

CBC News reports that Low followed up with the Halifax police department on multiple occasions to keep her case moving forward. Low says that she continued because of her daughters.

“I know what happened. I know what didn’t happen,” Low told CBC News. “And I know my initial drive has always been my daughters. This could have happened to one of them. So I feel it’s my duty. I can’t even tell you where it’s coming from … it’s just it’s come and I have to do it.”

Was your case subject to Halifax police negligence? Tell us your story in the comments below.

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