11-12-2025, 11:05 PM
Jewel Pierre-Roscelli figured she had two choices once she realized the man who’d offered to drive her home was instead going to sexually assault her — she could either fight back and risk her life or survive the night.
She chose the latter, eventually escaped, reported the assault and waited for justice.
It never came.
"What this person did to me was wrong. It wasn't consensual," Pierre-Roscelli said. "But the Crown prosecutor called me, and she said based on the evidence that you've submitted, we don't feel it's enough for him to be charged. She said, ‘So it's over.'"
In that moment, the Winnipegger became part of a national statistic — one of almost 900,000 people who are sexually assaulted each year in Canada, most of whom don’t get justice in the courts.
WATCH | Victims, advocates say sexual assault survivors still aren't getting justice:
Survivors and advocates say it’s a long overdue review.
"Some of us commit suicide because of these assaults," said Isabel Daniels, a Winnipeg survivor, who now provides trauma counselling for victims.
"Some of us just never live life again. They're just trying to survive day to day with their mental health … when this person is still walking with the freedom and the arrogance of getting away with sexual assault.”
Jewel Pierre-Roscelli doesn’t need the report to tell her how the court system fails sexual assault survivors. She lived it.
The justice system was "made without me in mind. I'm not meant to get justice," she said.
Her ordeal began late one night in Winnipeg, in September 2023.
What more do they need?
Instead, he drove to a highway outside the city limits, and then to a motel (she had no idea where), where she was sexually assaulted.
"I had to think.… Do I fight and potentially end up be hurt more than what's going to happen, or just survive?" she said. "I thought he was going to kill me and leave me somewhere."
Once she escaped, she went to the hospital and reported the assault to police.
She quickly learned that her trauma had no place in the legal system. Repeatedly she was asked, "Did you say 'No?'"
"Well, did I say yes? No, I didn't. I didn't say yes ever. So why did you ask that?" she said.
We are working with a justice system that is designed to protect perpetrators.
It wasn't enough.
"That's what I don't understand. So what? What more do they need?" she said.
Alexa Barkley has the same question.
"We are working with a justice system that is designed to protect perpetrators," said Barkley, a Toronto-based survivor and advocate with EVE — End Violence Everywhere. "I think we need a complete overhaul, quite frankly."
At issue, in part, is the concept of consent — what it looks like and, equally importantly, what it doesn’t look like, she said.
She chose the latter, eventually escaped, reported the assault and waited for justice.
It never came.
"What this person did to me was wrong. It wasn't consensual," Pierre-Roscelli said. "But the Crown prosecutor called me, and she said based on the evidence that you've submitted, we don't feel it's enough for him to be charged. She said, ‘So it's over.'"
In that moment, the Winnipegger became part of a national statistic — one of almost 900,000 people who are sexually assaulted each year in Canada, most of whom don’t get justice in the courts.
WATCH | Victims, advocates say sexual assault survivors still aren't getting justice:
Survivors and advocates say it’s a long overdue review.
"Some of us commit suicide because of these assaults," said Isabel Daniels, a Winnipeg survivor, who now provides trauma counselling for victims.
"Some of us just never live life again. They're just trying to survive day to day with their mental health … when this person is still walking with the freedom and the arrogance of getting away with sexual assault.”
Jewel Pierre-Roscelli doesn’t need the report to tell her how the court system fails sexual assault survivors. She lived it.
The justice system was "made without me in mind. I'm not meant to get justice," she said.
Her ordeal began late one night in Winnipeg, in September 2023.
What more do they need?
Quote:- Jewel Pierre-RoscelliShe'd run into a professional acquaintance at a social. He wanted to party with her afterwards, but she said no. She was drunk. She just wanted to go home.
Instead, he drove to a highway outside the city limits, and then to a motel (she had no idea where), where she was sexually assaulted.
"I had to think.… Do I fight and potentially end up be hurt more than what's going to happen, or just survive?" she said. "I thought he was going to kill me and leave me somewhere."
Once she escaped, she went to the hospital and reported the assault to police.
She quickly learned that her trauma had no place in the legal system. Repeatedly she was asked, "Did you say 'No?'"
"Well, did I say yes? No, I didn't. I didn't say yes ever. So why did you ask that?" she said.
We are working with a justice system that is designed to protect perpetrators.
Quote:- Alexa BarkleyShe shared everything she had with authorities to prove she did not consent, she said, including text messages she'd sent to the accused prior to the assault, spelling out that she wasn't interested, she was drunk and she just wanted to go home.
It wasn't enough.
"That's what I don't understand. So what? What more do they need?" she said.
Alexa Barkley has the same question.
"We are working with a justice system that is designed to protect perpetrators," said Barkley, a Toronto-based survivor and advocate with EVE — End Violence Everywhere. "I think we need a complete overhaul, quite frankly."
At issue, in part, is the concept of consent — what it looks like and, equally importantly, what it doesn’t look like, she said.