If someone attacks you with a hammer and you don’t know why, do the police have a duty to report it to the public? It’s a question that’s been nagging at Douglas Nery since March 14, when the resident of Toronto’s Gay Village says a man hit him in the head from behind as he walked home from the movies. Bleeding and confused, and with thoughts of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur flashing in his mind, Nery sought the help of a nearby witness. He was eventually treated for a gash so deep it exposed a portion of his skull. The back of his head bears the large scar where he took several internal and external stitches.But what especially pains Nery is the feeling his case has not been taken seriously — and that police did not issue a warning to the public. “They never found the guy ... They never released the images to the public like they do in any other case,” Nery said.“It’s like I died and I’m talking to people, and nobody listens to me,” he said. Toronto Police spokesperson Meaghan Gray would not speak directly about Nery’s case, but said it’s not unusual for investigators to decline to issue a press release. The question of when to send out a press release hinges on whether it will help further their investigation, she said. When a crime occurs, it’s up to the investigator to decide whether a press release is needed. “Sometimes a media release isn’t necessarily going to help further the case,” she said. Cases where a release may help could include missing persons reports, public safety threats, suspects at large or information on those who have already been arrested, Gray said. There is “nothing to suggest this case isn’t being treated with professionalism and respect,” she said. Nery caught a movie at Yonge-Dundas Square with a couple of work friends on that March evening, a Wednesday. He took the subway home. As he exited the station at B ...
|