The young woman who police allege was raped at a Pitt Meadows rave two years ago got to tell her side of the story Wednesday in court.
Originally charged with the more serious offence of possessing and distributing child pornography, Dennis John Allen Warrington pleaded guilty in December to a lesser count of distributing obscene material for posting three photographs of the girl on Facebook.
At his sentencing hearing, he said he’s learned his lesson, and told her he’s sorry.
She doesn’t believe him.
She said he’s ruined her life.
She explained how she went to the rave in September 2010 with friends. She was having the time of her life, laughing, singing and dancing.
She brought her own alcohol, but then accepted a drink from a stranger.
She said she doesn’t remember much after that, until waking up the next day to find pictures of herself and a young man having sex, posted to Facebook.
She told the court that those images still haunt her today, that she is still taunted by others.
She said she quit school and suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. She said she turned to drugs and thought about suicide.
It has been more than two years, and the girl feels like her ordeal may never end.
We hope, for her sake, that it does, that those who haven’t let it go yet, finally do so.
And we hope some lessons have been learned, not just for those involved, but for all.
Our actions, or inaction, have consequences, unintended or not, and in an instant, as we’ve seen, lives can be altered, damaged, forever.
As a society, we are too quick to offer our opinions, assign blame, to jump in the game. Too few of us seem to care about the aftermath, those hurt. We rather point and stare, or turn a blind eye than intervene or help.
We lack character. We are shallow, looking for the easy way out, or what suits us best. We are afraid to do what’s right if it invites scorn.
We try and lie our way out of trouble, or run and hide. Rather than speak out, we talk behind people’s backs.
It’s all cowardly.
And we are not better because of it.
Because of it, we are worse. We are broken.
– Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News