CRIME SCENE ABUSE?; VICTIM OF FORMER COL. RUSSELL WILIAMS SAYS OPP CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATORS MADE HER FEEL LIKE A CRIMINAL; LAW SUIT LAUNCHED; STAR;

"Massicotte said police told her she had to remain tied up in her home in Tweed, Ont. — under the same comforter Williams left her covered with — until an Ontario Provincial Police photographer arrived to document the scene. She remained in her restraints for five hours after she managed to dial 911, she said.

These allegations, which have not been proven in court, form part of a larger lawsuit that Massicotte plans to file against Williams, his wife and the OPP.

She described how the actions of responding officers intensified her sense of violation immediately following the attack."

REPORTERS JAYME POISSON AND CHLOE FEDIO; THE TORONTO STAR; (AUGUST 20, 2011);

The woman who was bound, stripped and sexually assaulted by Russell Williams has filed a lawsuit totalling more than $7 million against the convicted killer, his ex-wife and the Ontario Provincial Police.

Laurie Massicotte, a former neighbour of Williams’ in Tweed, Ont., filed a lawsuit to the Superior Court of Justice on Friday for damages including pain and suffering, the infliction of mental distress and loss of economic advantage.

Last month, Massicotte told the Star that her “hell really began” when she called 911 after Williams’ Sept. 30, 2009 attack.

Police told her she had to remain tied up in her home until an OPP photographer could document the scene, Massicotte said. She said she remained in her restraints for five hours.

The actions of responding officers — which she said included parading her in a bathrobe in front of other officers, grilling her for details of the attack and taking her fingerprints — intensified her sense of violation, Massicotte said.

REPORTER WENDY GILLIS: THE TORONTO STAR. (SEPTEMBER 24, 2011);

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"Laurie Massicotte, the woman who was stripped, bound and sexually assaulted by her then-neighbour, Col. Russell Williams, says her “hell really began” when she called 911," the August 24, 2011 Toronto Star story by reporters Jayme Poisson and Chloé Fedio begins, under the heading, "Victim of Russell Williams says she was left tied up for hours as police investigated."

"Massicotte said police told her she had to remain tied up in her home in Tweed, Ont. — under the same comforter Williams left her covered with — until an Ontario Provincial Police photographer arrived to document the scene. She remained in her restraints for five hours after she managed to dial 911, she said," the story continues.

"These allegations, which have not been proven in court, form part of a larger lawsuit that Massicotte plans to file against Williams, his wife and the OPP.

She described how the actions of responding officers intensified her sense of violation immediately following the attack.

“The worst part is, I’ve survived this and I’m in survivor mode and (the police) are trying to blame me or make this my fault,” she told the Star on Saturday. “They didn’t believe me.”

Massicotte said she was further humiliated when a neighbour told her a police officer said there was suspicion she was “copycatting” a previous sexual assault.

It was after her terrifying ordeal, in the early hours of Sept. 30, 2009 — when Williams smothered her with a blanket, punched her repeatedly, cut her clothes off with a knife and took photographs — that Massicotte found out another Tweed woman had been sexually assaulted on her street 12 days earlier.

Police had also not warned people about a series of nearby break-and-enters, dating back to September 2007, in which items of female clothing were stolen.

Williams, the former commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton, was sentenced last fall to life in prison for murdering Jessica Lloyd and Cpl. Marie-France Comeau, two sexual assaults and dozens of fetish break-ins. Williams was later stripped of his military rank.

A notice of claim filed on July 13 alleges that police breached a “duty of care” when they did not warn Massicotte that a previous sexual assault and break-ins had taken place in her neighbourhood.

Massicotte said a more detailed statement of claim will be filed within the next month.

The OPP did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

Massicotte recalled that after the ident officer came to take photos, police gave her a bathrobe and she was “paraded” outside her home in front of other officers. Then, police grilled her for details of the attack, took her fingerprints and made her feel like a “criminal,” she said.

Later in the day, Massicotte said one detective admitted to her that another woman had been assaulted. “We’re very, very sorry we didn’t get this out to the public . . . I can guarantee you this will make news tomorrow morning,” she said of what the investigator told her.

It wasn’t until around 7:30 p.m. — about 19 hours after she called 911 — that the mother-of-three was offered a volunteer from victims services to speak with, she said.

Massicotte chose to go public. Normally, the Star does not identify sexual assault victims.

Another sexual assault victim, whose name is protected by a publication ban, is suing Williams and his wife for $2.45 million.

An agreement signed shortly after Williams was charged shifted the couple’s assets to his wife’s name. She has since filed for divorce.

Massicotte told the Star she will be seeking far more in damages, but “It’s not about the money. It’s about justice,” she said, adding she has been preparing for the lawsuit for nine months.

“Even to this day I’m still in shock. It starts to wear off then you hear more and more. It keeps getting worse,” she said. “It’s a struggle to get up every morning. I don’t enjoy life anymore. I stay inside. I don’t enjoy people.”"

The story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1042641--victim-of-russell-williams-says-she-was-left-tied-up-for-hours-as-police-investigated

"The woman who was bound, stripped and sexually assaulted by Russell Williams has filed a lawsuit totalling more than $7 million against the convicted killer, his ex-wife and the Ontario Provincial Police," the Toronto Star story by reporter Wendy Gillis published on September 24 2011 under the heading "Sex attack victim sues Russell Williams and OPP for $7 million," begins.

"Laurie Massicotte, a former neighbour of Williams’ in Tweed, Ont., filed a lawsuit to the Superior Court of Justice on Friday for damages including pain and suffering, the infliction of mental distress and loss of economic advantage," the story continues.

"Last month, Massicotte told the Star that her “hell really began” when she called 911 after Williams’ Sept. 30, 2009 attack.

Police told her she had to remain tied up in her home until an OPP photographer could document the scene, Massicotte said. She said she remained in her restraints for five hours.

The actions of responding officers — which she said included parading her in a bathrobe in front of other officers, grilling her for details of the attack and taking her fingerprints — intensified her sense of violation, Massicotte said.

The allegations made by Massicotte have not been proven in court. The suit has not been served, and no statement of defence has yet been filed.

Massicotte told the Star last month it was only after her assault that she heard another Tweed woman had been sexually assaulted on her street 12 days before.

The statement of claim includes damages filed against police for “not providing her with any information as to who her assailant was until … the 8th day of February, 2010” — five months after the attack — and “allowing the defendant to reside nearby as the neighbour.”

Last Fall, Williams was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Cpl. Marie-France Comeau and Jessica Lloyd, two sexual assaults and dozens of fetish break-ins. The former commander of Canadian Forces Base Trenton was stripped of his military rank.

Reached Saturday night, Massicotte declined to comment. The Star does not normally identify sexual assault victims, but Massicotte chose to go public.

She earlier said the lawsuit was “not about the money. It’s about justice.”

Sgt. Pierre Chamberland from the OPP said he did not have sufficient information to comment on the lawsuit Saturday.

Another sexual assault victim, whose name is protected by a publication ban, is suing Williams and his wife for $2.45 million.

An agreement signed shortly after Williams was charged shifted the couple’s assets to his wife’s name. She has since filed for divorce. She could not be reached for comment Saturday."

The story can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1059295

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:

http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith

Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:

http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html

Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog; hlevy15@gmail.com;