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EDITORIAL: Kudos to CPS

Every once in a while, Rocky View County's news bleeds into Calgary, or vice-versa, and we find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with reporters from the big city.
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Every once in a while, Rocky View County's news bleeds into Calgary, or vice-versa, and we find ourselves shoulder to shoulder with reporters from the big city. Given the proximity of the two municipalities, it makes sense that this occasionally occurs and our coverage overlaps. 

But last week, Rocky View County news went national, when Calgary Police Service announced the arrest of Richard Robert Mantha, who lived a short drive outside Langdon, on over a dozen sexual assault-related offences. 

The headlines read like something you'd see in a crime show, or an episode of Law and Order SVU: According to CPS, Mantha allegedly targeted sex workers in the southeast Calgary community of Forest Lawn, luring them to his residence east of the city, and then confining them there and sexually violating them. The acts Mantha is accused of are pretty horrific, and it was uncomfortable to learn that something so sinister was allegedly happening within the boundaries of this usually-quiet county. 

The coverage about Mantha has started new dialogue about the lack of protections and safety – particularly for women – that comes with working in the sex trade. While a few commenters tried to argue the three victims of Mantha got what they deserved, we as a newsroom disagree with that notion entirely. No one deserves to be sexually assaulted, no matter what line of work they are in. The risk of sexual assault or rape should never be shrugged off as an occupational hazard for those working in the sex industry. 

Regardless of your position on the decriminalization of prostitution and sex work in general, one thing we would like to say is kudos to CPS and RCMP for taking the accusations against Mantha seriously, and for following up on the tips that were submitted about his behaviour. Historically, sex workers have been discriminated against in the Canadian justice system and their claims not always taken seriously (for instance, look up the Robert Pickton case), so it was nice to see local police devote so many resources to aid in this investigation.

 

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