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Legal veteran Murray Segal tasked with reviewing police in Rehtaeh Parsons investigation

Legal veteran Murray Segal tasked with reviewing police in Rehtaeh Parsons investigation

The Province of Nova Scotia has tasked a former Ontario deputy attorney general with investigation police conduct during the Rehtaeh Parsons investigation.

Murray Segal was named as the chief reviewer and charged with looking into why an investigation into the alleged sexual assault was concluded, only to be re-launched after the teen took her own life.

Parsons and her family allege she was sexually assaulted by as many as four young men while drunk at a party in 2011. She took her own life earlier this year amid taunts and cyberbulling from classmates stemming from the release of images of the incident.

Last week, RCMP in Nova Scotia charged two young men relating to child pornography, although still no charges were laid stemming from the alleged assault.

[ More Brew: Child porn charges in Rehtaeh Parsons case of little solace ]

"This has been a long and painful process for Rehtaeh's family and they remain in my thoughts today," Minister of Justice Ross Landry said in a statement. "We are committed to reviewing everything that led up to this tragic death, including the role of police and the prosecution service. We aren't leaving any stone unturned."

The review itself will look at several aspects of the case:

  • Whether the police investigation complied with training, policies and procedures

  • Whether those policies and procedures regarding sexual assault investigations are adequate

  • Whether the investigation was conducted in an appropriate length of time

  • Whether the Public Prosecution Service provided appropriate advice to investigators, and whether related policies are appropriate

  • Whether the separate roles of police and prosecutors were understood and respected.

The review will also focus on the impact of technology on young people and their interaction with the justice system.

A great deal of focus appears to have been placed on the roles of investigators and prosecutors. That may stem from the original investigation into the sexual assault allegations, which was dismissed because it was believed there was not enough evidence.

After Parsons' suicide in April, and amid public outrage, the investigation was re-launched with "fresh eyes" and a total of four charges related to child pornography were laid.

Parsons' father, Glen Canning, said he was angry that there were still no sexual assault charges.

Here is a comment from Murray Segal after being selected to review the actions of police and prosecutors:

This is a tragic case that has captured the hearts and minds of Nova Scotians and Canadians. I am committed to conducting a thorough review that will support on-going efforts to address this important issue.

Segal is a veteran lawyer who acted as Ontario's deputy attorney general for eight years. He is a certified specialist in criminal law and hold bachelors of civil and common law from McGill University.

[ Related: Police role in Rehtaeh Parsons case to be reviewed ]

According to an online bio, Segal has previously advised the Ontario government on several important public inquiries, including the Ipperwash Inquiry to the Walkerton tainted water investigation and a review into the wrongly convicted Guy Paul Morin.

Segal is a veteran of such high-profile cases and his investigation will focus on why it took so long before police were able to lay charges.

More clarity for a very murky issue. In six months time, we could know a lot more.

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