Justice of Girls calls for an inquiry into police and courts' mishandling of murderer

February 19, 2003

This afternoon Robert Raymond Dezwaan plead guilty in BC Supreme Court (Kamloops) to the 2nd degree murder of 16-year-old Cherish Oppenheim.  Justice for Girls is calling for a public inquiry into the apparent mishandling of Dezwaan by police and courts. 

"We have some serious questions about this case. How is it that a man who had been convicted twice for violence against women was released on bail after being charged for sexual assault with a weapon and confinement of a young woman? Furthermore, how is it that only hours before Dezwaan murdered Cherish Oppenheim, the police pulled him over but did not arrest him when they found him violating his bail order? The police found him driving drunk, not residing where he was ordered, and carrying a weapon on the passenger seat of his car. We demand an independent inquiry to answer some of these questions" says Joanna Czapska coordinator of a federally funded court monitoring project at Justice for Girls.

Dezwaan was convicted in 1993 and again in 1997 for violence against women and yet was released on bail following more recent charges of sexual assault with a weapon and unlawful confinement against another young woman. Dezwaan was on bail for these charges when he murdered Cherish Oppenheim.

Justice for Girls monitored the preliminary inquiry of the murder case against Dezwaan. We will also monitor his upcoming trial for sexual assault with a weapon and unlawful confinement.

Justice for Girls is a Vancouver based non-profit organization that promotes the rights of teenage girls in poverty and monitors court cases involving violence against teenage girls.

Read more: Chronology of case