Sadistical Sexual Predation

"[Mr. Suleiman, 32, was living] a purposeless life surfing the Internet [while on welfare and scheming to prey on young women]."
"[Mr. Suleiman targeted vulnerable women to] satisfy (his) own gratification."
"Any member of the public could have been victimized by you."
Justice Maria Linhares de Sousa

Magabi Lashury Suleiman, 32, was convicted of sexually assaulting women who accepted rides from him, thinking he was a cabbie.    Ottawa Police Service

At a just-concluded trial that worked its way through the justice system in Ottawa, a Ugandan refugee, Magabi Suleiman, 32, was sentenced to prison for nine years. A one-time drug trafficker, he was found guilty of sexual assault and theft. Some of his victims would not file an impact statement because, in the judge's words, it was "too painful to reopen that chapter of their lives." Mr. Suleiman, it seems, earned his nine years of incarceration in a federal penal institution.

"We were always on pins and needles, and we were always scared. Jian had created this environment of tyranny, no one was standing up to him, everyone enabled his behaviour."
"Arif's comment [Jian Ghomeshi's executive producer at CBC] to me was, 'He's never going to change, you're a malleable person, let's talk about how you can make this a less toxic work environment for you'."
"No one was going to talk to Jian, he was too big. The show was a f--king juggernaut at that point. His face and name were inextricably linked with the brand of Q [his successful music/culture/interview show]."
"He did this [search out Twitter or Facebook postings by attractive women and contact them] every single night. He was soliciting non-stop. It was his playground."
27-year-old journalism school student working at CBC, 2007

"I was aware that I, as a woman who had had a drink or two, shared a joint [with Jian], had gone to his house willingly and had a sexual past, would be eviscerated. Cultural frameworks on this are powerful. Equally important, however, was that it also didn't feel like it was worth my effort."
Toronto lawyer Reva Seth, Huffington Post

"If you are a victim of a sexual assault it doesn't mean you have to go to court. There are four levels of [potential choice] response."
"Our job is to present all of the evidence and if the evidence points us in the direction that the offence was committed, [we'll pursue charges]." 
Sgt. Trish Ferguson, Ottawa Police sexual assault unit

Victims of sexual assault have the choice to do nothing. Their second option would be to report the crime, not pursuing charges, just ensuring police are aware so they can wait out to detect possible patterns, or disseminate public warnings if required. The third possible option is to report the assault and have police pay the attacker a visit, the while posting a warning in their system. Lastly is the fully committed option of reporting the attack and pursuing charges.

For police to pursue charges they require the full cooperation of the victim. And that courageous victim who plans to see what they have put into motion right to the end must also be prepared to face the certainty of a very discomfiting court experience, which some may describe as being akin to having the original assault repeated, but this time in public.  And so, that answers the oft-repeated question: "Why wouldn't women whom Jian Ghomeshi assaulted go directly to police?"

Lawyer Reva Seth answered that question herself, mulling it over from the perspective of a victim of a violent encounter and someone attuned to the law and women's experiences in such cases. "I hadn't been raped. I had no interest in seeing him again or engaging the police in my life. I just wanted to continue on with my life as it was. And even if I had wanted to do something, as a lawyer, I was well aware that the scenario was just a 'he said/she said' situation."

Add to that the fact that Jian Ghomeshi is a celebrity, a public figure of some renown and admiration, one who commands a large fan base, with the funding available to him through the avails of his most generous salary over the past years to mount the kind of defence that most people, like the Ugandan refugee in Ottawa who preyed on vulnerable women, just like Mr. Ghomeshi is alleged to have done, would be incapable of mounting.

Shame, fear, and wishing to keep what happened private would restrain a lot of women not possessed, like Kucy DeCoutere, a well-known actress who did come forward, with the self-possession and determination to act. If for no other reason than to finally put a stop to the relentless feral predation of a sexual sadist whose psychopathic tendencies led him to enjoy and to impose violent sex on women.