Collective Community Impact Statement Submitted on November 12, 2021

AKWESASNE COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENT

To: Superior Ontario Court of Justice, Canada

Province of Ontario

Case File #20-60

East Region Cornwall, 29 Second Street West, Cornwall, ON, K6J 1G3

In the matter of ASHLEY DAVID THOMPSON,

DOB: October 29, 1991, victim

Let us begin with a short background of Akwesasne and our relations.

Akwesasne is a collective of indigenous peoples that has been in this area since time immemorial. We have customs and practices that have remained within our community for eons. These practices are different than the mainstream society. Here is an example of practicing our collectivity by submitting a collective Community Impact Statement. We request that our collective submission be considered and the requirement for individual submissions be waived regarding this case. Our voice must be heard.

As part of our customs, one of the key elements of our culture is about our relations. We are a

collective and as a collective we have watched Ashley grow. It may not have been directly but

maybe indirectly through the numerous community and school events. She was a member of our community and both her parents are and were respected community members. As a collective, our hope for her was to have a good life. We watched as she grew into womanhood and started the adult phase of her life and decided to leave the community.

When the offence was made public, we as a community felt outrage and pain that this would happen to a young mother with young children. We felt what her family felt and were sickened by the savageness of the crime. According to our cultural beliefs, a woman is sacred, and children are our most precious gifts and both must be handled with the most utmost respect. Since the incident, we have waited anxiously for news on her case, always hopeful that justice and the sentence to be rendered would fit the crime. The recent Standard Freeholder article was read with dismay, betrayal and anger at the dismissiveness of what may have been key points for the full truth to be told.

The offender must be held responsible for his actions, he could have stopped the beating, but he chose to damage a vibrant young mother to the point of no recovery. We feel it was attempted murder and now look at many of our nonnative neighbors across the river with fear, suspicion and mistrust again. Anger for this total disregard for her human life. We understand that Ashley has endured several surgeries on her head and is now undergoing several dental treatments, again caused by this brutal beating committed by the offender. This must also be taken into consideration for his sentencing. The cost to repair the physical damage he committed on a human being must also be taken into consideration in determining the appropriate sentence.

We now look to Canada’s courts to uphold justice for Ashley and all members who attend your

courts. We place our trust that justice would allow the truth to be revealed and dealt with accordingly. With all that our people have endured we still hope for appropriate and restorative

measures to bring peace back to relations with our neighbors in Cornwall. The act was atrocious

and the offender’s violent disposition must be taken into consideration when being sentence, he is a menace to society, to women and must be handled accordingly.

Today, Canada talks about Truth and Reconciliation. Well, the truth in Ashley case was heard. We understand that some of the charges were dropped, for what reasons, we do not know but now, is the real truth being told or taken into consideration in his sentence? Again, Ashley’s Mom and Ashley’s children are further traumatized.

Now from a community perspective, here’s are a few articles for reconciliation:

1. This is a violent act against women. His sentence should be to the fullest extent of the law to reinforce that crimes against women will not be tolerated. Ashley will not be home when his sentence is over. She will still be a patient in a long-term care home. Damaged and forced to live separate from the community, her family and especially her children. Institutionalize forever because of the uncontrollable actions of a stronger person.

2. As part of his sentence, he should for the rest of his life show responsibility for his actions and be mandated to make payments to Ashley’s long-term facility. Even if it is a dollar a month, he must not be allowed to transfer total and full responsibility for her welfare to the province or her family.

3. Lorraine Thompson, the children’s maternal grandmother, lost custody to the children’s biological father. We understand that custody was lost due to the local Children’s Aid Society misinforming representatives from Akwesasne about an upcoming custody hearing. The hearing was held without representation from Akwesasne and custody awarded to the biological father. We also understand the father also has offences related to assaulting others weaker than him and ask if this is good place for the children to be in. They have had enough violence in their short lives already. This must be rectified; the grandmother must be allowed a regular visitation schedule regardless of the whim of the father. She needs to be kept aware of the children’s welfare and safety. Implementing a regular visitation schedule will allow for the children’s continued inclusion in the community life of Akwesasne and maintain their cultural ties to their relations in Akwesasne. It is their right as members of our community. Cultural identity is so very important.

4. The children may require counselling for the traumas they endured and experienced, they must still be fearful of the offender and his family. The courts need to ensure the safety of the children and it must be mandated that the offender’s family have no contact whatsoever with Ashley’s children, no contact, no speaking, no waving to them. The children’s safety must be priority for all involved and needs to be secured.

5. Our healing approaches should be made available to the children as determined by the

grandmother, Lorraine Thompson.

6. He must never enter the community of Akwesasne, ever again.

As a member of Akwesasne, I agree to the above statements and add my signature as one of the collective voices of Akwesasne and want this letter to be considered during the sentencing of ASHLEY DAVID THOMPSON’S offender.