A 13-year-old Chinese girl who was murdered in Burnaby's Central Park six years ago was closed at the courthouse on Thursday, and in addition to the auditorium full of people who were concerned about the case, hundreds of people gathered outside the courthouse to seek justice for the girl and her family, according to Sing Tao reporter Chen Yifen.
Huang Beila, who paid attention to the case and took the initiative to mobilize the public to call for justice, said that she had two daughters aged 9 and 7, and was very shocked and scared when she heard the news.
"Normally a murder case in Canada can be completed in about 30 months, but this case dragged on for six years, which will make many people disappointed with the Canadian judiciary and worry parents like me," Huang said. We are defending the lives of girls and their families, and if the perpetrators do not deserve the punishment, it will cause many people to worry about the safety of their communities, and the next time you and my children may be victims. ”
Liu Hong, who has a 15-year-old daughter, said: "My daughter was 9 years old when the incident happened, but I didn't expect her to be 15 years old, but the case has not yet been solved." I told my daughter that I must support the victim's family, because I don't want to see you go out every day, and I am very worried. ”
Another Ms. Yang, who lives in Baishe, said: "The entire Chinese community has been greatly affected by this case, and although we are not the parties and do not know the victim's family, everyone has a haze in their hearts, and this case should not be dragged on for so long and cannot be gently put aside." ”
Ms. Huang, who lives near Burnaby's Central Park, said she may have seen the suspect late at night on the night of the incident and later called the police. "At that time, I was a newcomer who had just arrived in Canada for less than a year, and I felt that Canada was very safe, so I walked home from a party at a friend's house late at night, and I met a man who greeted me, and I responded politely, but at that time, two other passers-by appeared on the opposite side, and the man fled in a panic. I thought it was a little weird. ”
Ms. Huang said that the next day when she saw the news that someone had been killed in the park, she took the initiative to call the police about her suspicious experience, and later saw the police release the suspect's photo, and she went to the police station again to explain that the man she saw looked very much like the suspect.
The girl disappeared on the evening of July 18, 2017, after leaving her home near Central Park, and her body was found in the early hours of the next morning in a bush near the tennis court in Central Park. Police arrested suspect Ibrahim Ali in Burnaby in September 2018.
The 33-year-old accused, Ibrahim Ali, faces one count of first-degree murder, which he has pleaded not guilty.
The trial was originally scheduled to commence in September 2020, but it had to be postponed several times due to a number of issues, including the selection of the jury, the dispute between the prosecution and defense lawyers, and the submission of documents. The trial commenced in April this year, and nearly 50 witnesses were called to give evidence, including the deceased's mother, brother, the police, members of the public and experts.
About 200 supporters appeared in and out of the courtroom on Thursday, and a larger rally in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Saturday will be held in hopes of attention to the case.