as if they had rights….. or why Canada has so much crime….stories

—————–RAPE TERM REDUCED BY COURT

PUBLICATION: The Calgary Sun
DATE: 2004.10.28
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 12
BYLINE: KEVIN MARTIN, CALGARY SUN

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RAPE TERM REDUCED BY COURT

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The 14-year prison term handed a Calgary man for the “horrific”
kidnapping and rape of a Saskatchewan woman was too harsh, Alberta’s top
court said yesterday.

But in handing down the Alberta Court of Appeal decision, Justice Carole
Conrad said a severe sentence was still needed to denounce Marty Glenn
Schira’s conduct.

Conrad, in giving the unanimous ruling, said provincial court Judge
Allan Fradsham erred by not allowing Schira enough credit for pre-trial
custody.

As a result, the appeal court reduced Schira’s sentence by 12 months to
13 years.

Schira, 26, pleaded guilty in May to charges of kidnapping with a
firearm and sexual assault with a firearm in connection with a June 15,
2003, random attack in broad daylight.

The city resident was returning to Calgary from a visit to relatives in
Saskatchewan when he spotted his victim walking home from work down an
alley in Rosetown.

He used a sawed-off rifle to force the 21-year-old woman, who can’t be
named, into his car and then headed for Alberta.

Along the way he stopped to sexually assault her on three separate
occasions, twice raping her.

Schira then drove to his Calgary residence, duct taped the woman’s
mouth, tied her hands behind her back and forced her to walk up to his
third floor apartment.

There he tied her hands and an ankle to his bed frame before raping her
again.

The victim was able to escape the restraints while Schira was taking a
bath.