A Calgary provincial court judge ruled that an aboriginal woman knocking out the tooth of a white woman while yelling “I hate white people” does not constitute a hate crime.
Judge Harry Van Harten stated clearly in his decision that the attack on November 1, 2015 had nothing to do with racial bias, saying there was insufficient evidence to support that classification, the Calgary Sun reports.
“There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether … she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim,” Van Harten said.
“I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that this offence was, even in part, motivated by racial bias,” he added.
Tamara Crowchief approached Lydia White outside a pub Nov. 1, yelled “I hate white people” and punched her right in the face. White lost a tooth.
Police quickly arrived on the scene and arrested Crowchief, who said that “the white man was out to get her.”
None of that convinced Van Harten that the incident was a hate crime. Instead, Van Harten decided a proper punishment for Crowchief was probation for 12 months and an order to get psychological counseling. Crowchief also can’t consume intoxicating substances.
Prosecutor Karuna Ramakrishnan was hoping for a sentence of 12 to 15 months and a declaration that the attack was a hate crime.
“I still get angry when I think about it,” Lydia White said in a statement. “I don’t understand why this woman did this.”
“I never did anything to her,” she added. “Never even spoke to her.”
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