Sandra’s Media & Press
Mother’s crusade comes to College Heights |
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Written by Rodney Venis -Citizen staff
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Friday, 27 November 2009
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Months after seeing the woman once convicted for helping kill her son set free, a Vancouver-based victims’ rights advocate is bringing her book to Prince George. On Saturday, Dec. 5, from 12 to 3 p.m. at the College Heights’ Shoppers Drug Mart, Sandra Martins-Toner will be signing copies of The Last Six Minutes – A Mother’s Loss and Quest for Justice. The book details the events surrounding the July 2005 beating death of her 16-year-old son Matthew Martins, the 2007 second-degree murder convictions of Robert Forslund and his girlfriend Katherine Quinn and Quinn’s successful appeal of the decision in 2009. According to the Province, Quinn was granted bail last July after winning a retrial. She is now living 10 blocks from Martins-Toner in south Vancouver. “I am hoping, praying, she will be found guilty,” said Martins-Toner. On the cover of her book is the necklace and silver cross that prompted Quinn, a B.C. Supreme Court jury was told, to jump Martins four years ago. Quinn received a superficial stab wound during the altercation; the teen fled. Forslund caught up with Martins at a SkyTrain station – the last six minutes refers to a surveillance video that shows the then 28 year old slamming the youth into a wall six times and kicking him 10 times. Witnesses testified Quinn commanded Forslund to kill Martins; however, on June 12, the B.C. Court of Appeals ruled the trial judge made an error in his instructions to the jury on whether Quinn had abetted the crime. The case is similar to the recent conviction of Melissa Todorovic. Todorovic, then 16, spent eight months pressuring her boyfriend to kill Stefanie Rengel. The boyfriend, known only as D.B., stabbed Rengel to death in Jan. 2008; Todorovic was convicted in July of first-degree murder for spurring the slaying. Martins-Toner’s book – and the legal reform group Families against Crime and Trauma (F.A.C.T) – stems from her experience with the criminal justice system. “I actually hadn’t intended to write a book,” she said. “It was more journalling, after my little boy was murdered in 2005. It was like a diary – what police were telling us, what the family was feeling, what was going around the courthouse.” Then an ex-judge gave her a book, Victims, the orphans of justice by Jerry Amernic, that prompted her to put pen to paper in earnest. “It was about a family who lost their daughter 20 years ago to a brutal murder,” she said. “(The judge) Wallace G. Craig told me, ‘I think you need to finish this.’ After reading it, I literally closed the book and said I know what I have to do.” Martins-Toner said the best part of writing the book came from meeting other families who had similarly tortuous experiences with the justice system. All were united, she said, on one change to the system – bail reform. “Those people should not have been in B.C., and been on our streets,” she said. “Too many are killed by those out on bail. Nothing will change until we demand our government change these pieces of legislation.” But bail reform is just a start. Through Families against Crime and Trauma she’s working on a proposal called The True Cost of Crime, which will outline a suite of changes to the justice system including: more youths convicted of violent crimes sentenced as adults and a formal process that would automatically kick in to provide financial restitution for victims of crimes and their families. “It would work similarly to the family maintenance enforcement program for deadbeat dads,” said Martins-Toner, who added the trial had left her so “emotionally, financially and mentally depleted” that she would not be pursuing a civil action against either Quinn or Forslund. “The onus should not be left on the victims to try to sue civilly afterwards.” She said she’s had a strong response from politicians ranging from Abbotsford Tory MP Ed Fast, NDP MLA Public Safety Opposition critic Mike Farnworth, Solicitor General Kash Heed and Attorney General Mike de Jong. “It always seems to be about the the rights of the offender and not the rights of the families left behind,” she said. |
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Bail denied in appeal of 2005-murder conviction
David Toner, left, and Sandra Martins-Toner speak to reporters outside B.C. Appeals Court in Vancouver on Tuesday
A woman serving a life sentence for her role in the beating death of a Vancouver teenager has been denied an application to be released on bail while she appeals her conviction. Katherine Quinn, 26, has already served two years in the murder of 16-year-old Matthew Martins, who was killed outside Surrey Central SkyTrain Station in 2005.
She was applying for bail in part so she could take care of her sick mother.
Martins’ mother Sandra Martins-Toner, who turned 38 yesterday, clutched her husband and sobbed as the judge rendered her decision in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
“Thank God,” she cried. “This is the best birthday present I could ever ask for.”
Quinn and her boyfriend Robert Forslund, 30, were both sentenced to second-degree murder, he for administering the fatal blows and she for encouraging him.
According to witnesses, Quinn told Forslund, “If you love me, you’ll kill him.”
But Quinn’s lawyer argued on Tuesday that she played no actual role in the murder.
“Depending on which witness you believe, it amounts to words uttered at a scene of a beating that was already underway,” he said, calling the attack a “spontaneous” Saturday night fight between drunken teenagers.
But Crown counsel Mary Ainslie said it would undermine public confidence in the judicial system to release a convicted killer on bail before a judge has decided whether she deserves a new trial.
“If a new trial is ordered then we go back to the presumption of innocence,” Ainslie said.
In her reasons for denying bail, Justice Mary Newbury noted that Quinn has shown no remorse and says she wants to get back together with Forslund after they are released.
“She has had a terrible temper, lacks insight into her own personality (and) does not have a family background that will (help her) turn her life in the right direction,” Newbury said.
Martins’ parents said they were “elated” with the verdict but added that the appeal was a waste of the public’s time and money.
“There’s no reason why families should be put through this again and again,” said Martins-Toner.
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I was invited to speak about today’s bail hearing on the “world Today with John McComb.” Hosted by Gord McDonald.
I have placed the link here for you should you want to listen to the segment. Once the audio player opens, please slide the time lapse bar located at the bottom of the screen until the digits on the right hand side are at 15:00 minutes.
Thank you for taking a moment to listen to the interview!
Sandra Martins-Toner
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Sandra & David Toner
Grieving families call for inquiry into crime, justice system
Families who have lost loved ones to violent crime are calling for a public inquiry into the administration of justice in B.C.
Public confidence in the justice system has been so eroded that only a public inquiry, similar to the Braidwood hearings into police Taser use, can restore it, said David Toner, president of Families Against Crime and Trauma (FACT).
“The administration of justice has slipped to a point so far down that that is what it’s going to take,” he said.
Toner’s 16-year-old stepson, Matthew Martins, was slain at a Surrey SkyTrain station in July 2005. A woman convicted in the killing is appealing her second-degree murder sentence.
The group wants more debate around crime, law and order, and public safety issues from campaigning politicians.
Steve Brown, whose brother-in-law, Ed Schellenberg, was caught by chance in a Surrey multiple gang killing, said political promises to add 168 police officers is a band-aid solution. He said the criminal-justice system needs an overhaul.
FACT wants a broad inquiry with sweeping powers to examine the failings of the justice system.
The group is pushing for more policing, more funding for Crown prosecutors and stricter sentences.
Lenient sentences are a slap in the face to victim’s families, said Toner.
“My son was murdered. The penalty was supposed to be life,” he said.
Instead, Toner will attend a hearing today for one of his stepson’s killers — Katherine Quinn — who is appealing her sentence.
cchan@theprovince.com
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Some so-called activists should take a leaf out of this good F.A.C.T. book
John Martin, Special to The Province
Published: Wednesday, May 28, 2008
It wasn’t that long ago that activism was a virtuous quality that reflected a sincere commitment to social change.
In recent times though, activism has fallen upon hard times. And one could be forgiven these days for assuming the term is synonymous with vandalism and violence.
The highest-profile activists in the battle against poverty, homelessness and globalization, for example, have generally conducted themselves in a disgraceful and pathetic manner. Their collective hooliganism has done nothing to reform the injustices they apparently care so passionately about.
But while a small group of overgrown juvenile delinquents continue to give activism a bad name, others are selflessly devoting themselves to issues and causes in a productive manner.
One group in particular that embodies activism at its finest is F.A.C.T. – Families Against Crime and Trauma — a group that advocates for victims of violent crime and campaigning for criminal justice reform.
The group was founded by David Toner and Sandra Martins-Toner, whose son, Matthew, was brutally murdered in a senseless attack at the Surrey Central SkyTrain Station in 2005.
Other members have similarly lost loved ones, including Nina Rivet, whose sister was killed in a street-racing incident eight years ago.
Despite living with unimaginable tragedies and loss, they’re committed to pursuing positive changes for the rest of us. The group hosts public forums to raise awareness about victimization, organizes petitions and letter-writing campaigns and gives personal support to others traumatized by crime.
The organization has vigorously campaigned for expanded and enhanced security procedures on SkyTrain. And it appears their efforts have paid off. Last week, TransLink spokesman Ken Hardie announced plans for better lighting, improved video surveillance, more transit police and other improvements.
This was followed by the introduction of a private member’s bill this week that F.A.C.T. co-wrote with NDP MLA Mike Farnworth. The Victims of Crime Compensation Act would extend benefits and assistance to employees who have been seriously impacted by acts of criminal violence.
Of course, a private member’s bill is hardly a shoo-in to become law. But it’s further evidence that individuals can make a difference and get the attention of various levels of government.
It may come as a shock to today’s self-styled activists, but all this was accomplished without smashing a single window. If they’re reading this, perhaps they could put down their can of spray paint and take some notes.
There are countless individuals and groups similar to F.A.C.T. who devote endless hours of their time to improving our communities.
Let’s not confuse them with the clowns and louts who have no idea what activism is all about.
John Martin, a criminologist at the University of the Fraser Valley, can be reached at John.Martin@ucfv.ca
© The Vancouver Province 2008
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Senator has her facts wrong
John Martin, Special to the Times
Published: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
There is now one more reason to eliminate the Canadian Senate and her name is Sharon Carstairs. Sharon is the leader of the Liberal majority in the Senate and given the type of leadership she’s demonstrating, it’s no wonder the only Canadians who don’t believe that the Senate is a joke are the ones who think it is an outrage.
The Senator’s underwhelming performance was brought to my attention through correspondence she had with Sandra Martins-Toner.
Sandra is the mother of 16-year-old Matthew Martins, who was brutally murdered in 2005. A 28-year-old man, and his 23-year-old girlfriend, randomly attacked Matthew while on his way to meet a friend at a bus station.
Since then, Sandra founded Families Against Crime & Trauma (F.A.C.T.), a victims’ rights organization that addresses our flawed justice system on many fronts.
She recently wrote a letter to Opposition Leader Stephane Dion; a copy of which was forwarded to Carstairs. In the letter, she implored Dion to encourage the Liberals to pass the crime bill that is now before the Senate. The legislation addresses violent crime, dangerous offenders, criminals who use guns and other issues of urgent concern.
Dion didn’t respond, but the Senator did. She wrote: “The Senate of Canada must examine this bill carefully to ensure that it is the right thing to do. While violent crime rates are actually declining in this country, this is of little comfort to you and your family who have suffered a terrible tragedy. I give you my personal promise that we will do nothing to delay this bill beyond what is necessary for a thorough study.”
What on Earth is she talking about?
Even the most cursory research would show that while overall crime has slightly fallen, virtually every category of serious violent crime is on the upswing. Attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, robbery, kidnapping and forcible confinement are all increasing. Violent crimes for youth are reaching their highest numbers in decades. The only reason violent crime rates overall aren’t through the roof is because minor assault, the most common offence accounting for more than 60 per cent of all violent offences, remained stable.
It would take a couple of minutes to access Statistics Canada reports confirming the rise in most types of serious violent crime. Numerous other sources of data showing similar trends are readily available. My students dig this stuff up every day. Yet the leader in the Senate, with assistants and research staff doesn’t have a clue what’s going on across the country. And she’s going to decide if this bill “is the right thing to do.”
The Senate is supposed to be the place for sober second thought; the place where legislation receives proper attention and careful study before it becomes law. Now we find that the individual most responsible for delaying the passage of the bill is completely ignorant about the issues surrounding the reasons for the legislation in the first place.
The Senate is an inept disgrace and considering the leadership of Sharon Carstairs in this failed institution, it’s little wonder.
John Martin is a criminologist at the University College of the Fraser Valley and can be contacted at John.Martin@ucfv.ca.
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Victims of crime given short shrift by gov’t
Not enough help with wages lost during recovery
Joey Thompson, The Province
Published: Monday, March 24, 2008
The Quebec government recently extended a hand to victims of crime by enacting labour legislation that secures seriously injured workers up to two years of unpaid leave.
Now Bill 58, the first of its kind in Canada, has captured the attention of FACT, a B.C. anti-crime group determined to push for a Canada-wide program that not only makes leaves a given but also refunds victims of violence the wages they lost while recovering.
Victims of crime have always been expendable in this country. Neither the feds nor the provinces have been motivated to provide help or resources to those who have been wronged.
Indeed, no matter what spin our local politicians put on it, B.C.’s 1996 Criminal Injury Compensation Act offers little relief to citizens hard hit by crime.
It’s no wonder Canadians are disenchanted with their criminal justice system: Accused are granted constitutionally protected legal rights, including the right to be fairly tried and treated by Corrections Service Canada — at a public cost of billions yearly.
Their victims are lucky if they get a call advising them of a trial date.
FACT (it stands for families against crime and trauma) notes that, back in 1992, the feds stopped picking up part of the tab for victims’ compensation requests. The provinces, in turn, either cancelled or starved their cash-strapped victims’ assistance plans.
And let’s face it. Government is as lame at getting the word out as it is at handing the money out. Many victims and their families have no idea they had access to even limited funds for counselling services, mileage to and from medical appointments, funeral expenses and therapeutic equipment.
“Those who have applied for help are so minimally compensated and so disgusted with the treatment they are given, they don’t even bother to follow through,” FACT founder Sandra Martins-Toner wrote recently.
“Many of us have had to go back to work within weeks of our losses and have not had the proper time to heal or grieve.
“Many of us have lost everything we have worked for due to the inability to work or because we have lost our jobs due to stress and shock.”
Martins-Toner speaks from the heart. Her eldest boy, 16-year-old Matthew, was slammed into a Plexiglas wall six times, kicked 10 times and stomped on 13 times by his attacker. The teen was found fatally beaten at the bottom of an escalator at the Surrey Central SkyTrain station in 2005.
Martins-Toner has created a website tribute to her son that features a picture gallery of family photos.
“We are not compensated for all the lost wages, nor are we eligible for any sort of financial help from the government,” she noted.
“Victims/families did not ask to have their loved ones killed, nor should they have to suffer the great cost that accompanies it.”
To introduce some balance to our justice system, governments have got to collaborate on designing a bill of rights for victims of crime and their families, one that guarantees them a voice during the criminal process and fair compensation during the recovery process.
But wishful thinking it will always be unless voters crank up the heat on their parliamentary and legislative representatives.
FACT can be reached through its website: www.familiesagainstcrime.org
© The Vancouver Province 2008
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Book helps families cope with tragedy
Dave S. Clark
News Staff
Tuesday April 29, 2008
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| P.S. I Miss You features stories, poems and artwork dedicated to youth who lost their lives tragically. |
A powerful new book has been published that is giving families a much-needed venue to express their grief over the love ones they lost tragically.
P.S. I Miss You is a book published by Families Against Crime and Trauma (FACT), a Vancouver-based organization that helps people who have been affected by violent crime. The book is full of submissions of stories, poetry and artwork in dedication to youth who have had their lives violently taken from them.
Both Melissa Melan and Levi Dorn, two teens who were killed in a crash on Highway 21 in September 2006, are featured in the book.
“This book is full of the things we want to say but don’t have the opportunity,” said Moneca Melan, Melissa’s mother. “Some people say it’s really sad, but it’s an expression of grief that is really powerful.”
Moneca, who has been painting to help her deal with the grief, contributed all the artwork for the 40-page book.
“This has helped me so much. The artwork has kept me alive.”
She also wrote a poem about Melissa which is in the book. Also dedicated to Melissa is the song “My Angel” which was written by Melissa’s longtime friend Sarah Ranger and another poem written by a family friend.
For Moneca and her family the book is a very meaningful way to express grief, which is often very hard to do.
“This book says ‘these are my kids, this is what happened and this is how I feel,’” she said. “We don’t get many opportunities to do that.”
But more than being a voice for grieving victims, the book is also an important fundraiser for FACT — an organization that is growing quickly and starting to attract attention.
“All of the fund go directly to FACT so they can keep up their information network, victim advocacy and voice for change,” Melan said.
The organization has a lower profile outside of B.C. but this fundraiser will help the group grow across the county.
“They are a consolidated voice and people are really starting to listen to them,” she said. “We want that voice to be more national.”
To purchase a copy of the book, visit the FACT website at www.familiesagainstcrime.org or contact Melan through Melissa’s memorial website at www.livetrueformelissa.net.
The book is not currently in any book stores but Melan is hoping some local stores will start carrying it.
