‘Victims deserve better’
Dear Editor:
RE: Man who beat woman in unprovoked attack released, credited with time served, Jan. 22.
While the court proceedings have ended for the man who violently assaulted a woman in Mount Forest, the consequences for the victim are far from over.
She was attacked in front of her young son. That trauma did not disappear with a guilty plea or sentencing. She continues to suffer emotionally and psychologically and now lives in fear – afraid to go out, afraid to feel safe in her own community.
The man responsible has a history of robbery, threats and assaults. Mental health issues were cited, yet the sentence imposed has left many questioning whether public safety and victim well-being were truly prioritized. Mental illness may help explain behavior, but it does not erase responsibility – nor does it protect future victims if left untreated.
What is deeply troubling is that while the offender moves on, the victim remains trapped by the aftermath. She pays the lifelong price for a crime she did not commit.
Justice should mean more than closing a file. It should ensure accountability, meaningful treatment and protection for those who have already suffered. When victims are left to live in fear, the system has failed them.
Our community deserves better. Victims deserve better.
Margherita Tabone,
Rockwood