“Why couldn’t you just keep your knees together?”.
Advertisement
He told the woman: ‘Why didn’t you just sink your bottom down into the basin so he couldn’t penetrate you?’
Court documents also reveal that the Canadian federal court judge said young women “want to have sex, particularly if they’re drunk” during the 2014 trial.
He is expected to testify before a five-member committee, who will rule whether he should be removed from the bench. At the time, the South Africa-born Camp was a provincial judge in Alberta, prior to being appointed to the Federal Court, making him one of the most senior legal authorities in the country. He became a federal judge past year.
Camp acquitted Wagar in September 2014. But that decision was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered.
Meanwhile, Alexander Wagar has been re-arrested, and will face a repeat rape trial in November.
A complaint was opened by the director of the Canadian Judicial Council and the matter was referred to a review panel to determine whether Camp should remain on the bench.
Law professors and the Alberta attorney general filed complaints against Camp past year.
Camp’s lawyer called three witnesses at the hearing; a Manitoba justice, a law professor and a psychologist, who were paid by Camp to mentor him after his comments came to light.
He also made “stereotypical assumptions about how someone confronted with sexual assault would or would not behave”, according to the allegations.
The council launched an investigation into the remarks and will decide next week if the judge should be struck off.
“He made me hate myself and he made me feel like I should have done something. that I was some kind of slut”, she said Tuesday.
His daughter Lauren, who says she herself has been a rape victim, said her father’s comments were “despicable” but that he was “old-fashioned”, not “an inherent or dedicated sexist”.
This week the victim told the panel that she was deeply traumatized by the trial.
Camp has since apologized for his conduct.
“The thing I feel worst about is the questions I asked of the… complainant.”
According to the judge, he didn’t fully understand Canada’s sexual-assault laws which protect women from from discrimination, saying laws are different in South Africa where he spent two decades practicing law.
When asked why he did not take advantage of the legal education funds he is entitled to as a judge, Camp replied “I didn’t know what I didn’t know” therefore insinuating that he could not have educated himself on the subject as he did not know his views would be seen as unacceptable in the first place.
He has since apologised for his comments, calling them “rude and insulting”.
Advertisement
Due to its incendiary sexual politics, and the status of the 64-year-old man at the heart of the maelstrom the case has gripped Canada.
