Judge Harry Van Harten ruled that an indigenous woman named Tamara Crowchief from Calgary, Canada, who yelled, “I hate white people,” before punching a white woman in the face, did not commit a racially motivated hate crime.
“The offender said, ‘I hate white people’ and threw a punch,” Judge Van Harten wrote in his written ruling in the case.
“There is no evidence either way about what the offender meant or whether she holds or promotes an ideology which would explain why this assault was aimed at this victim,” he said, according to the Calgary Harald.
Judge Van Harten said he wasn’t convinced by prosecutor Karuna Ramakrishnan’s argument that the November 1 attack was the result of racial bias Crowchief had toward her victim.
“I am not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that this offence was, even in part, motivated by racial bias,” Van Harten said.
The victim, Lydia White, was allegedly approached by Crownchief, who without warning yelled, “I hate white people,” and punched her in the face, knocking out her tooth.
Crowchief reportedly told arresting officers that “the white man was out to get her.”
White says she still has no clue as to what motivated the attack.
“I don’t understand why this woman did this. I never did anything to her. Never even spoke to her,” she said.
Judge Van Harten placed Crowchief on 12 months probation and ordered that she receive psychological counseling.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @jeromeehudson.
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