What's Her Name? Jane?

The accused serial killer Robert Pickton faces one less murder count after a judge ruled that he cannot be tried on a charge of killing an unidentified Jane Doe, in New Westminister, B.C. Just because they cannot put a name to the woman, her murder will be swept under the rug. He took that woman's life - he should face the consequences for that action, whether she has a name or not. To me, this was a blatent act of disregard towards women - call her Jane Doe for as long as it takes to find out her real name, but to white out on the tally sheet this murder because of the lack of a name is uncalled for.

The judge found "that in the circumstances of this case, the count as drawn fails to meet the minimal requirement set out in Section 581 of the Criminal Code. Accordingly it must be quashed" (Canadian Press, March 2, 2006). I'm sure that if it had been an unidentified male, the judge wouldn't be so quick as to "quash" the case - this woman had rights, despite all circumstances, and Pickton should be accountable for her death, Name or no name.

"Pickston was charged with 27 counts of first-degree murder involving women -
most of them drug-addicted sex-trade workers who disappeared over a stretch
of years from Vancouver's seedy Downtown Eastside."

Who bloody hell cares that those women were in that area of Vancouver? They're still women, no matter what situations they find themselves in. They count too.

"On Thursday, Pickton lawyer Adrian Brooks said outside court
that the ruling was 'a positive step in our defence of Mr. Pickton'."

A postive step? What is that supposed to mean? That the judge is going to magically say that Pickton really wasn't responsible for the death of twenty-eight women - oops, I mean twenty-seven women; that Jane Doe woman doesn't count.

" 'It is essential that minimal requirements of fairness be shown to every
accused and this decision is part of the fairness to be shown to Mr. Pickton.' "

Excuse me? They're complaining about fairness? Was it fair to those twenty-eight woman that their lives were taken away by this man? Something tells me murder isn't fair.

"Lowe said he wanted to make 'absolutely clear' that the deletion of one
count did not weaken the Crown's case."

Who cares if it didn't weaken the case? Pickton murdered that woman, he needs to take some responsiblity for every one of his actions. Even if they don't know the woman's real name. Jane Doe has rights too.