Kamloops Kops Tell Lesbian to Stop Bothering Them

[nucklehead]

http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/article/20111230/KAMLOOPS0101/312309986/-1/kamloops/woman-says-same-sex-relationship-coloured-rcmp-response

A Kamloops woman says she was forced to file a private information in court alleging assault against her former common-law partner because police didn't take her complaint seriously.

The woman, who did not want to be identified because she is worried about the welfare of her children, said she believes the two RCMP officers who showed up Monday to investigate her 911 call for help did not take her seriously because her ex-partner is also a woman.

The officers listened as she told them she'd been punched in the face and struck in the head several times by a door, yet did not remove her partner from the house. Instead, they told her she needed to work out her problems with her ex, and warned her future calls to the police could lead to the involvement of social workers who might not allow her children to live with her.

"If this was a man and a woman, would they have left him in the house?" she asked. "They told me it was best for me to leave. They deemed my story was not credible."

The woman said her relationship broke down with her partner about a month ago, after a year together. The two had bought a house together, although the other woman worked largely out of town and owned property up north.

She asked her partner to stay away from Kamloops through the holidays, and was surprised when she showed up anyway. On Boxing Day, the woman showed up, waited for her sons to leave, then confronted her about issues related to the dissolution of the relationship.

During the exchange, the woman said her partner attacked her, prompting her to lock herself in a guest bedroom and call 911. She left the house after police left and has been living in a motel since.

When it became apparent to her the RCMP had not filed a report to Crown, the woman said she went to court and swore a private information. The matter was in court Thursday. Judge Chris Cleaveley directed the Crown to investigate.

Later in the day Michelle Oliver was charged with one count of domestic assault. Despite that, the RCMP have still not required her ex-partner to leave their house, the woman said.

"I am the victim," she said. "I was assaulted in my own home. I told them that I had been attacked, that I was afraid for my safety (but) the RCMP put its own slant on the order.

"What really hit me hard was when they said to me, 'Don't you have somewhere else to go?'"

Staff Sgt. Lane Jumaga would not comment on the incident as the matter is before the courts. He said, however, the RCMP take all complaints of domestic violence seriously, including allegations made by same-sex couples.

He added officers do not always arrest or remove people when officers are called to domestic violence complaints. Each instance is investigated and weighed by officers.

"We take all (domestic violence complaints) seriously, regardless of gender. For her to allege this was handled differently because it was a same-sex (complaint), I can tell you that was not the case," he said.

It's not known when the case will reach court.