Assault case from P.E.I.'s Évangéline Region referred to restorative justice
The four people accused in a high-profile assault case that happened in P.E.I.'s Évangéline Region late last year will now be undergoing a restorative justice process.
Troy Gallant and Darren Richard, two of the men charged after the attack, pleaded "not guilty" earlier this year. The two others, Samuel Bernard and Tyson Arsenault, were scheduled to enter their pleas at Summerside provincial court Wednesday.
Instead, the matter was referred to restorative justice after an agreement among all the parties involved.
That means that instead of going through the traditional judicial process, they'll all be working together to address the harm caused by the incident and find meaningful ways to ensure that the people responsible are held accountable.
The outcomes in restorative justice matters vary on a case-by-case basis. The Crown said discussions are now taking place involving lawyers and victim services representatives.
The case stems from a confrontation at an arena parking lot after a festival in Abram-Village last fall.
Two people were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the attack, which has been described as being racially motivated.
Local groups have said the victims were immigrants from Algeria who had settled in the area.
The four accused are now scheduled to appear in court June 28 to see how the process is going. If it doesn't work, the case will come back to the judge.
