He will have to stand up for himself. IMO this whole situation just keeps getting nastier and nastier. Its not getting less dark. If he doesn't stand up for himself I can just imagine what the outcome will be for the child and himself. I'm sure she had plenty of legal advice on that side of the border and in Canada. Going forward in Canada I do hope the serious nature of her actions is taken into consideration. IMO the leniency shown already by the US court is surprising. In a way an outcome like this from the American side just plays into the power dynamics here, I'm sure Walker is aware of that that. JMOO.
Canada - Dawn Dumont Walker, 48, accused of abducting her son and faking their deaths, Saskatoon, 23 Jul 2022
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Quite right. For the sake of the child, both parents should seek to de-escalate the situation. That means working together for the best interests of the child.
Trust has been broken, with Dawn Walker faking the death of the child in order to deprive him of a relationship with his father. After 4 years of custody dispute, we can be sure that every court resolution option was used to help sort out a schedule for the child, his parents, his friends and his extended family. It seems like Dawn Walker was unhappy with the schedule.
The child's father moved on with his life 4 years ago, when the child was 3 years old. He has since married and has a toddler daughter. Photos posted on the missing child's website show a living room overtaken with toys, musical instruments, activities and what appears to be a clean, stable home with happy family.
It's not fun for parents to share custody, but that's how it works - shared time. No cheating or faking the death of the child is allowed. Spousal conflict does not mean the child should be deprived of one of the parents.
As for power dynamics in the courts, the USA court has said that they agree for Canada to try the charges first. Canada has reserved the right to add more charges, which could mean moving identity theft charges from the USA to Canada. The USA reserves the right to try their charges after Walker has gone through the Canadian courts.
At this time, Dawn Walker appears to be asking the courts to revisit custody decisions on the basis that the parents do not get along and there is alleged domestic violence with resulting PTSD. I suppose we'll have to wait for court updates to hear whether both parents respect the rights of the child.
kritafo
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High profile Toronto defence lawyer to defend Dawn Walker in Saskatoon | Globalnews.ca
Marie Henein will be defending Dawn Walker as the Sask. mother makes her way back to Canada to face charges of public mischief and abduction in contravention of a custody order.
globalnews.ca
I hope the courts contain/manage the scope of the defence. Dawn Walker's actions are hers and hers alone. Walker may want to drag the child's father, or Saskatchewan government employees (police, courts), through the mud to shift blame. Sadly, defence lawyer Marie Henein may come up with quite a novel explanation for faking the death of children.High profile Toronto defence lawyer to defend Dawn Walker in Saskatoon | Globalnews.ca
Marie Henein will be defending Dawn Walker as the Sask. mother makes her way back to Canada to face charges of public mischief and abduction in contravention of a custody order.
I hope so too. This is a very serious crime with devastating consequences for many people!
I'm wondering whether Dawn Walker wants to go down in history as the Metis woman who fought the colonial (British) based judicial system to establish separate custody rights for Metis children.
Dawn Walker was driven to the nearest USA/Canada border and handed off to RCMP on Wednesday. Another 16 hours to drive to Saskatoon. I wonder what happened to the car that Walker purchased under a false identity. Perhaps her friends drove to Oregon City to pick it up?
She is still in custody. The first thing her lawyer will do is file a motion to have her released on bail. Perhaps Walker still plans to attend the Leacock book award gala on Sept 17? Will the bail application include the privilege of travelling to Ontario? Given her history with stolen identities and faking death, should she be free to do as she pleases until the charges are dealt with?
thestarphoenix.com
She is still in custody. The first thing her lawyer will do is file a motion to have her released on bail. Perhaps Walker still plans to attend the Leacock book award gala on Sept 17? Will the bail application include the privilege of travelling to Ontario? Given her history with stolen identities and faking death, should she be free to do as she pleases until the charges are dealt with?
Dawn Walker, mother accused of abducting son and fleeing to U.S., back in Canada
Walker is now in the custody of Surrey RCMP and arrangements are being made for her return to Saskatoon.
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tarabull
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CBC.ca: High-profile lawyer Marie Henein will represent Sask. woman accused of faking own death.
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imstilla.grandma
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When Walker was found, the FSIN released a statement that quoted her mother saying she was "elated" to hear Dawn and her son were safe.
It also quoted FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron, who said "it is heart-breaking that Dawn may have felt she had no other choice."
The organization has not publicly commented on Walker's charges. After she was located in Oregon, the FSIN repeatedly declined requests for comment. A spokesperson for the organization said on Aug. 9 that FSIN would not be commenting because "it is a criminal matter now."
In a written statement to CBC News on Aug. 9, Walker said she "left Saskatoon because I feared for my safety and that of my son."
The father of Walker's son has told Saskatoon radio station CKOM that he would never hurt her or the boy.
Marie Henein said this week that she would be defending Walker in court on her Canadian charges.
Henein is known as one of the country's most prominent defence lawyers and has previously defended people like Michael Bryant, Jian Ghomeshi and Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.
As of Thursday, Walker was in RCMP custody in Surrey, B.C. and planning for her transportation back to Saskatoon was in the works.
Her friends and family have said she will have their support.
It also quoted FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron, who said "it is heart-breaking that Dawn may have felt she had no other choice."
The organization has not publicly commented on Walker's charges. After she was located in Oregon, the FSIN repeatedly declined requests for comment. A spokesperson for the organization said on Aug. 9 that FSIN would not be commenting because "it is a criminal matter now."
In a written statement to CBC News on Aug. 9, Walker said she "left Saskatoon because I feared for my safety and that of my son."
The father of Walker's son has told Saskatoon radio station CKOM that he would never hurt her or the boy.
Marie Henein said this week that she would be defending Walker in court on her Canadian charges.
Henein is known as one of the country's most prominent defence lawyers and has previously defended people like Michael Bryant, Jian Ghomeshi and Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.
As of Thursday, Walker was in RCMP custody in Surrey, B.C. and planning for her transportation back to Saskatoon was in the works.
Her friends and family have said she will have their support.
Snoopster
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BBM
I agree. The sympathy is misplaced, even if it is coming with the right intent.
This case is really getting to me. So many women are at a disadvantage, but they fight through the proper channels. I don't see evidence of this in this case. People are 'presuming' that the husband is the 'bad guy' and she is an innocent victim. She faked the death of her child!! Inexcusable. And unfair to women who have truly been mistreated and who are powerless. Dawn wasn't powerless, she had First Nations leaders as her connections. She had a public profile.
I was already disturbed by this case, but I just found out that the wife of a personal friend recently refused to come back from vacation overseas with their 2 kids. She announced she wanted a divorce and asked the church there for a travel ban for the kids, preventing them from coming back to Canada, where they were born and have lived so far. The couple weren't separated at the time and she obviously didn't even try to pursue legal means in Canada. And now she's essentially kidnapped the kids to another country. He has a long legal battle ahead of him and he is heartbroken.
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. Well your friend’s wife has kidnapped their children and I hope she has to answer for that. That is so wrong.BBM
I agree. The sympathy is misplaced, even if it is coming with the right intent.
This case is really getting to me. So many women are at a disadvantage, but they fight through the proper channels. I don't see evidence of this in this case. People are 'presuming' that the husband is the 'bad guy' and she is an innocent victim. She faked the death of her child!! Inexcusable. And unfair to women who have truly been mistreated and who are powerless. Dawn wasn't powerless, she had First Nations leaders as her connections. She had a public profile.
I was already disturbed by this case, but I just found out that the wife of a personal friend recently refused to come back from vacation overseas with their 2 kids. She announced she wanted a divorce and asked the church there for a travel ban for the kids, preventing them from coming back to Canada, where they were born and have lived so far. The couple weren't separated at the time and she obviously didn't even try to pursue legal means in Canada. And now she's essentially kidnapped the kids to another country. He has a long legal battle ahead of him and he is heartbroken.
This case really bothers me as well. Dawn needs to present actual evidence of at least an instance of abuse.
Dawn Walker stole personal documents from a work colleague/friend in April 2022. Walker then applied for replacement documents and passports using her photos and the colleague's name (and that of her son).
She went to the colleague's house and checked mail every day to steal the new passports and identity documents (with her photo) from her colleague's mailbox. She also forged a document to transport the child, using a false identity, across the border.
"Adult Victim stated that she did not open this bank account but that the (Adult Victim) had their (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Certificate of Indian Status card and Saskatchewan driver’s license) stolen in April 2022," DHS special agent Clinton Lindsly said in the affidavit." (link)
The FSIN has to decide whether to support the woman who stole personal identity documents from a colleague and faked a child's death in order to secure custody, or the woman whose identity was stolen. Dawn Walker should not be the person they support.
What was Dawn Walker doing and saying when her 'friend' was upset about her lost personal identity documents? I suspect that she appeared very sympathetic and supportive. That's not the type of person who should have a senior role in the FSIN.
Dawn Walker's abduction of her child reminds me of this case, which was discussed here as well. It was exactly the same situation. There was a long drawn out acrimonious custody dispute. The mother and her family abducted the children and hid.BBM
I agree. The sympathy is misplaced, even if it is coming with the right intent.
This case is really getting to me. So many women are at a disadvantage, but they fight through the proper channels. I don't see evidence of this in this case. People are 'presuming' that the husband is the 'bad guy' and she is an innocent victim. She faked the death of her child!! Inexcusable. And unfair to women who have truly been mistreated and who are powerless. Dawn wasn't powerless, she had First Nations leaders as her connections. She had a public profile.
I was already disturbed by this case, but I just found out that the wife of a personal friend recently refused to come back from vacation overseas with their 2 kids. She announced she wanted a divorce and asked the church there for a travel ban for the kids, preventing them from coming back to Canada, where they were born and have lived so far. The couple weren't separated at the time and she obviously didn't even try to pursue legal means in Canada. And now she's essentially kidnapped the kids to another country. He has a long legal battle ahead of him and he is heartbroken.
2 more charged in connection with 2021 Cochrane, Alta., child abduction | Globalnews.ca
The girls, age five and two, were reported missing in March 2021 after RCMP said their grandmother and sister took them from their home in Cochrane.
globalnews.ca
What these cases all have in common is that one parent alleges abuse to gain the upper hand in custody, a thorough investigation is completed, there is no evidence of abuse, that parent still refuses to accept joint custody, and so they abduct the children. Dawn Walker is not unique, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she is Metis. She is simply angry with the child's father and wants to deprive him of having a healthy relationship with the child. Pure selfishness.
I hope that prosecutors are able to negotiate a return of your friend's children soon.
Sorry, but that is hard to listen to. The failure of police is why Indigenous women break the law and end up in jail? I feel like I'm living in George Orwell's world where doublespeak is used to change perceptions of reality.
No surprise that the next plan is to have Walker released "on her own recognizance." She shouldn't have a bail hearing, she should simple be released because Indigenous women are only in jail because the police got it wrong.
The FSIN message is loud and clear. Dawn feared for her life and that of her child, meaning the child's father is a dangerous man, so she had no choice but to fake the child's death. The child apparently has no rights, and his future as a deceased person with no identity is irrelevant.
I'm guessing that the father has a lawyer who is carefully watching how far the FSIN, Dawn Walker and her lawyer will go in terms of attacking the child's father.
From the FSIN press link ... It's a "foolish" question to ask why the FSIN believe Walker rather than the father? ... non-indigenous men are always believed over wealthy successful Metis women therefore nothing men say can be true?
The father clearly has sole custody right now, since Dawn's sister said they need to request permission from the father for Dawn to see the child. They hope that the father will be "cooperative"? I hope Dawn isn't expecting the child to visit jail to see his mother.
They want the father to be cooperative after Dawn faked the child's death while being 100% uncooperative? Such a double standard!
The father clearly has sole custody right now, since Dawn's sister said they need to request permission from the father for Dawn to see the child. They hope that the father will be "cooperative"? I hope Dawn isn't expecting the child to visit jail to see his mother.
They want the father to be cooperative after Dawn faked the child's death while being 100% uncooperative? Such a double standard!
The concern seems to be not that the Indigenous and Metis women are falsely convicted, but that there are not enough alternative incarceration options. The significant change in stats seems to be that non-indigenous women incarceration rates have dropped since 2013.
It's obviously complicated, and fortunately there are national efforts to make change. However, as long as women of any nationality break the law, they should serve prison time.
"In the 10 healing lodges operated in part by CSC, there are only 200 spaces available. Zinger said that's not enough and the lodges need more funding.
...
The inquiry's final report offered 13 recommendations to address over-incarceration of Indigenous women, including calls for more Indigenous-run and culturally appropriate rehabilitation programs.
"The programming that's there isn't available as much as anybody would like, especially the inmates," Buller said. "And the programming that is available more often than not isn't culturally appropriate, and the culturally appropriate programming is underfunded and understaffed."
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