A 4 - The Oakville Beaver, W ednesd ay July 17, 2002 \ / V Is your bad h air day going into m onth number 3 yet?!?!?! Athena NAPOLEON O c x /v r & o r t F IR E P L A C E S· B A R B E C U E S· F U R N A C E S· A IRC O N D IT IO N E R S· P A T IOF U R N IT U R E· A C C E S S O R IE S Victims' families frustrated with justice system (Continued from page 1) THE up to PART I I - `LEVELS' Last week I explained colours a n d their groupings. But an `Inquiring M ind' also asked what I m ean t by trying a warm colour in a darker level. A level refers to the darkness o r lightness o f your n atural colour. Levels are arran g ed on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 being black an d 10 being lightest blond. So if `O live' h ad a natural level 5 (m edium brow n), she could try a dark red brown (a warm colour, RED in a d ark er level, dark brow n = 4). I h o p e th at cleared u p any uncertainty. T hanks fo r the great questions. 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As for the mandate of Victims United For Change, its message is simple -- to put justice back into the legal system. To achieve this, the group is fighting for: · tougher laws on youth crimes; · free legal advice for victims who can't afford it; · free counseling service for victims; · rules to inform family members of preliminary hearings and plea bargaining; · day care services for victims and their families during the trial and a national sup port group for victims. "This is a promise to Canadians that we will make change," Tammy said. The nightmare began for the young woman on July 13,1992, when her brother went missing. Convinced he'd been mur dered, Tammy went to the (Peel) police with the names of four individuals she felt were responsible. With Jason having been out on a day pass from a halfway house the SALE PRICES END THURSDAY, JULY 25 ,20 02 , UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED ROW879 to the team KENMORE' EXTRA-LARGE CAPACITY WASHER & DRYER 2.45-cu. ft. washer. 8 cycles. 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But even after filing the report, police still refused to believe that foul play was involved. Six weeks after his disappear ance, however, campers in Algonquin Park found Jason's wallet. When Tammy and her mother pushed authorities for permis sion to dig in the area where the wallet was found, they were told it was Crown land that had not been -- and could not be -- disturbed. It wasn't until the spring of 1995 that (Peel) police finally began treating Jason's disappearance as a homicide, having received a tip that Jason had been forced into a car by several people at the time he went missing. The tip spimred further inves tigation, and his body was discovered on June 5, 1995, by Peel homicide detectivessix feet below the ground where three years earlier, his wallet had been found. "I must have stood over my brother's `grave' I don't know how many times," Tammy said. "And yet, we were never allowed to dig." Tammy's frustration with the legal sys tem is one shared by many others. Others like Jason's mother, Joyce, who said the ordeal has felt like "being stuck in a Stephen King novel unable to get out." Suffering a nervous breakdown that forced her to leave her job, she said she spent years "begging them (authorities) to dig" for her son. Like Joe and Lauzane Wamback, whose son, Jonathan, was kicked and beaten so horrifically, he spent two weeks on life sup port, three months in a coma, and now suf fers permanent brain damage. Like A1 Almeida, of London, Ontario,' whose five-year-old daughter, Naomi, was taken from his home and raped and mur dered. Like an Ottawa couple who couldn't afford to pay for their daughter's funeral after she was murdered. They were instructed to hold a small funeral for her and present the bill to a government agency. legislated to help victims of crime with such matters. The family spent a modest $7,500 on the service. When they submit ted the bill to government officials, they were told the agency would not consider covering the cost until the case had been closed and was reviewed by the agency. As for those in attendance, Tammy was pleased with the media turnout for the event. "It's because of the media that my brother's story, and the stories of so many others have been kept in the public eye. I'm. just so appreciative," she said. But despite media attention, the seats for politicians sat empty. `The Attorney-General was invited, Members of Parliament were invited, where are they?" asked an infuriated Joe Wamback. Among the many politicians invited to the event was David Young, Attorney General of Canada, who failed to even respond. An invitation was also sent to Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman, who also did not reply. Letters of regret were sent from Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief ofOperations, Donald Bain, from TorontoPolice Service's Wayne Cotgreave, Superintendent, Executive Officer, Office of the Chief of Police, and from Lynn Cuddington, Director-Corrections Policy,; Solicitor General Canada. Tammy was grateful to Oakville Mayor Ann Mulvale for being the only politician to I attend, as well as Tracey Clarke, from the Office for Victims, a government agency. The absence of so many dignitaries, Tammy said, proved her point exactly. "Their not showing up made it easier for me to demonstrate their true interests. They said it themselves." Countless stories were shared of prelim inary hearings and plea-bargaining that had taken place without the families of the vic tims having been notified. "How they could just forget to notify us is beyond me," said Tammy. She added that with so many court hear ings to attend, cost of traveling to and from the courthouse added up. along with meals and coffee during the trial. She sent a letter to government officials asking for money to help with these costs. The reply? A cheque' for $23. "I ripped it up and sent it back to them,"; she said. "I will not beg. But you know, the criminals get free transportation to and from the courthouse and a warm meal when they; get back. What about the victims?" And that's exactly the question Victims; United For Change hopes to hammer intothe heads of politicians. Just two days after the forum was held, Tammy said the response from victims across the country and from the United States has been phenomenal. "I have even been contacted by a U.S.* senator. Why is it that I've had more of al response from the U.S. than the federal orl Ontario government?" she asked. Noting that the group is now looking for an office to set up in, Tammy said she can be reached at 416- 668-7606. "We need all the help we can get, from anyone," she said, adding that the group would soon have a toll free number and a; trust fund. I