Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Bulletin: Ivan Henry: British Columbia; Retired detective William Harkema refuses to admit error in wrongful conviction: "During his week-long testimony at Henry’s B.C. Supreme Court trial seeking compensation for the 27 years he spent in prison, Harkema came across as bitter, refusing to even consider he might have made a horrendous mistake." Reporter Ian Mulgrew: Vancouver Sun.


STORY: "Retired detective refuses to admit error in wrongful conviction," by reporter Ian Mulgrew, published by the Vancouver Sun on November 3, 2015.

SUB-HEADING:  "Ivan Henry was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault in 1983. He is suing prosecutors for allegedly breaching his Charter rights after he was acquitted in 2010 of 10 sexual-assault convictions."

GIST: "Time doesn’t always heal. Sometimes it hardens. It appears to have ossified retired Vancouver police detective William Harkema.The 72-year-old, who made key investigative decisions that led to the wrongful conviction of Ivan Henry for a series of 1980s sex assaults, may have turned to stone. During his week-long testimony at Henry’s B.C. Supreme Court trial seeking compensation for the 27 years he spent in prison, Harkema came across as bitter, refusing to even consider he might have made a horrendous mistake. Racked by health problems and sitting outside the witness box to accommodate his discomforts, Harkema took refuge in a spotty memory, or simply denied any responsibility for Henry’s ordeal. He bristled at being labelled the lead investigator, although he received a commendation for being “the task force coordinator and responsible for preparing the (Henry) case for court.” While his superiors praised his devotion, “the backbone of the investigation,” Harkema sourly maintained “that wasn’t my opinion, it was their opinion.” He chafed at the suggestion he should have pointed out the discrepancies in the identification of Henry and other problems with the case.........The trial continues."

The entire story can be found at:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/metro/mulgrew+retired+detective+refuses+admit+error+wrongful/11490289/story.html

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Dear Reader. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog. We are following this case.
 
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located  near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
 
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.ca/2013/12/the-charles-smith-award-presented-to_28.html  

I look forward to hearing from readers at:

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