Monday, April 7, 2008

Free Noellee Mowatt

Noellee Mowatt, 19, is due to give birth to her second child April 15. In December, she called police to report that her boyfriend, Christopher Harbin, was abusing her. What does our so-called "justice" system do?

They put her in jail.

Mowatt, who is not charged with anything, is being held in a jail cell at Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, to make sure that she shows up to testify at her boyfriend's trial. According to her lawyer, Lydia Riva, "She's contracted the flu since she's been in jail. She already had to seek medical attention. [...] She's obviously stressed out and concerned about her pregnancy. She's afraid to have her baby in custody."

Why is this poor woman, who obviously has enough stress in her life already between raising two young children and coping with an abusive boyfriend, being victimized by the justice system, which should be protecting her?

If Noellee Mowatt was 30, and married, would she be treated so appallingly badly in these circumstances?

1 comment:

Rosemary Waigh said...

Noelly Mowatt is still in jail and vowing to never call the police for help no matter what. Women's advocates say it is extremely unusual for a victim of domestic violence to be incarcerated to force her to testify at her abuser's trial.