Are posters supporting boys in Retaeh Parsons case a form of harassment?

In the wake of the death of Rehtaeh Parsons earlier this month, everyone it seems has been focused on finding answers to what happened to her – from governments launching inquiries to police re-launching investigations to her parents and the public searching out ways to find peace in her death.

Now, however, there is also an active group who are looking for answers on behalf of those who have been tied to Parsons’ sexual assault. Posters have appeared around Nova Scotia in support of the boys allegedly involved in the incident that led to the online harassment and, ultimately, suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons.

The posters read:

CBC News reports that the posters have gone up all over the city, and other nearby communities including the neigbourhood where the Parsons family lives and continues to mourn.

[ Related: Posters go up supporting boys in Rehtaeh Parsons case ]

Rehtaeh's mother, Leah Parsons, says she feels harassed by the posted placed in front of her house.

“This is our street, we are mourning our daughter, my children live in this neighbourhood," she wrote on a Facebook, according to the network. "If you wanted to speak the truth ... why didn't you speak when Rehtaeh was alive ... you push her to suicide then you continue with this bullshit!!! Really???? You have no compassion ... but we knew that already."

Halifax RCMP told CBC News that the posters may be disrespectful but they are not illegal. Ultimately, “the boys” are innocent until proven guilty. Even if they chose to stay quiet about what really happened for over a year and the sudden showing of support comes only after police in Nova Scotia reconsidered whether to press charges.

But the posters are not correct on one issue: there are more than two sides to every story. Each of those boys have their own side, for which they each much answer. Rehtaeh Parsons also had a side, and each of her parents have their own side.

[ More Brew: RCMP reopens investigation into Rehtaeh Parsons death ]

And every person who viewed those photos and passed them on, or taunted and teased Parsons have a side they should be held accountable for. And the police, who haven’t pressed charges and abandoned an investigation until a group of Internet activists brought them new information – they have a side as well.

But when “the boys” finally do tell their sides, they should explain what happened the night a drunken Rehtaeh Parsons was videotaped having sex at a party. And they also better include answers to why and how those pictures were posted online and passed around high school. And why those boys didn’t support Parsons when she was teased and harassed to the point of suicide.

And if those questions don’t measure up, the people who created those posters should heed their own message.