Batchewana Leadership Outraged by Lack of Charges
BATCHEWANA, ON – Since the Sault Ste. Marie Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) news release was issued,“Charges laid in the death of Jesse Roach”, Batchewana First Nation’s leadership have been inundated with outraged community members.
In the official release On November 4, 2013 the OPP stated that Terry Mosher, was charged with the following:
- Obstruct a peace officer as per sec 129 (a) of the Criminal Code of Canada;
- fail to report accident as per sec 199 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario,
charges the First Nation feel are deeply inadequate.
“The lack of charges are very disconcerting. We are trying to seek clarification to justify these nominal charges. I contacted the O.P.P this morning and was told that the investigators have done their due diligence”, commented Chief Sayers.
The First Nation is working to determine what if any other charges were contemplated, and how the investigators arrived at these disappointing charges.
Chief Sayers stated, “this outcome is unacceptable, I am struggling to understand why a number of obvious charges weren’t entertained such as: criminal negligence causing death or failure to stop at the scene of an accident. There is a history of legal disparity in this city when the victim is of First Nations descent, we are calling on the Crown Attorney for a complete review and revisit of the investigation to rectify this alarming situation”.
