Community News

TRUST IS VITAL TO HEALTHY JUSTICE SYSTEM IN MUSKOKA

OUR REPORTER SITS IN COURT FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS

much done behind closed doors and without the mechanism for change and the public loses trust in the system.

There are already cases when police don't name the accused to protect the victim, such as if the victim is a domestic partner or a child closely connected to them. And the courts impose publication bans on identifying a victim, which sometimes means the accused can't be named for the same reason.

We have historically published all reports sent to us by the Huntsville or Bracebridge OPP that name the person accused. We will continue to reprint many of these releases but with a greater intention to see the case through court and report the outcome. In particular, we will highlight police reports that give readers news they need on dangerous situations, current crimes affecting a lot of people, murder, robberies, child pornography or abuse, high-profile cases and drug trafficking.

We believe having a presence in court serves to monitor the justice process, and once someone has been convicted, it makes sense for us to inform the community about who has been found guilty.

We will look to trends in crimes like impaired driving, drug possession and theft, reporting on the causes of the crimes and possible solutions for Muskoka.

Sarah Bissonette has been reporting for this newspaper for 20 years. We welcome your questions and value your comments. Email our trust committee at trust@metroland.com.

OPINION

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://communitynews.pressreader.com/article/281535114597329

Metroland Media Group Ltd.