Ivan Henry launches wrongful conviction lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court
A man who spent nearly three decades in prison for sexual assaults he did not commit is launching a lawsuit for wrongful conviction this morning in B.C. Supreme Court.
In 1983, Ivan Henry was convicted of 10 sexual assaults involving eight women. He maintained his innocence, but went on to spend the next 27 years in prison before he was finally released.
In 2010, Henry was acquitted of the crimes. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Henry could proceed with a lawsuit to seek compensation.
Lawyer Joan McEwen, who has written book on the Henry case called Innocence on Trial, said Henry has been living in poverty since his release, and she expects he'll be seeking compensation in the tens of millions of dollars.
"I think he is looking forward to it. I think he feels like his time is due," said McEwan. "I think his chances are very good.
"Not only would it be good for him personally, it would be good for society, because it would hold our criminal justice system accountable for what they put him through."
