Gwich'in outraged by killer's sentence
Teenage boy jailed two years for death of Fort McPherson's Brandy Vittrekwa
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Monday, June 20, 2016
TETLIT'ZHEH/FORT MCPHERSON
Leadership in the Gwich'in Tribal Council are speaking out against the sentence handed down by a Yukon judge in the killing of Fort McPherson teen Brandy Vittrekwa.
Brandy Vittrekwa was found beaten to death on a walking trail in the McIntyre subdivision of Whitehorse on Dec. 8, 2014. - NNSL photo archive |
"This is a sad say for all families who have experienced violence, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Brandy Vittrekwa," said vice president of the GTC, Norman Snowshoe.
The teenage boy who admitted to killing Vittrekwa a year and a half ago, who cannot be named as he is under 18 years old, was sentenced June 16 to two years in jail, plus one year under strict supervision in the community.
Crown prosecutors had argued that he should be sentenced as an adult, which would have opened the door to a jail term of four to six years.
Vittrekwa, who was living in Whitehorse but had many relatives in Fort McPherson, was found beaten to death on a walking trail in the McIntyre subdivision Dec. 8, 2014.
Her death sparked a number of protests about the apparent lack of justice for aboriginal women in both the Yukon and the NWT.
Her killer's sentencing is now doing the same.
"While the sentencing takes into account the offender's troubled past, the GTC believes that murder is murder - and judicial sentencing should reflect that, regardless of background," states news release from the tribal council.
The council also calls for the federal justice minister to undertake a review of youth offender sentencing and sentencing principles.
Marlene Snowshoe, Vittrekwa's aunt, spoke to News/North in 2014, shortly after the incident.
She said she didn't believe violence against women would ever stop being an issue but that Gwich'in leadership speaking out against it was an encouraging sign.
"We have to step up now and start saying things about this more and more. That way it will at least try to ease (the problem)," she said.
"We have to pray for people that still live through (violence), especially all the women. Even the teenagers are going through that in such young relationships.
"Some of them don't have children yet and they should get out right now before it gets too late."
