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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-10-01, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, October 1, 2014 www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com ilion Expositor PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 RO. Box 69, 8 Main Street Seaforth Ontario NOK phone: 519-527-0240 fax: 519-527-2858 www.seaforthhuronexpositor SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAXWELL BICKFORD Advertising Rep. max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DIANNE MCGRATH Front Office seaforth.classifieds@sunmedia.ca WHITNEY SOUTH Multimedia Joumalist seaforth.news@sunmedia.ca MARIE DAVID Sun Media Group Publisher Grey Bruce Huron Division 519-364-2001 or 519-372-4301 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GS1) 2 YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GSI) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT PO. 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Canada. editorial Police must do better to overtake rumours It was a shocking crime that seemed to belong to the 19th century: a man was gunned down as he rode on horseback with his wife through a marshy area of Huron County. But news of the incident spread like wildfire through 21st -century technology — social media. As police went through their methodical investi- gation of the crime scene, official news was scant. There was none at all for 20 hours and after that, only sparse information. But residents of the Clinton area were under- standably alarmed by the sirens and roadblocks encircling a large area just outside the town. They knew there had been a shooting, but not much else. Finding little information from traditional media, they improvised, going on to a local buy - and -sell website to share scant bits of information, speculation and rumour. That's a common sce- nario after a major crime, but social media outruns word-of-mouth or traditional media. Some resi- dents locked themselves inside their homes, some left town altogether. It took police a couple of days to release the name of the victim, Donato Frigo, a construction executive from Caledon East, and almost a week to announce they were seeking a suspect, Boris Pan- ovski of Scarborough. Although police said Panovski might be "armed and dangerous," the fact he knew the victim through dog sports calmed fears that it was a ran- dom killing. Police said they received 19 tips after their announcement. Panovski was arrested two days later and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder of Frigo's wife. To be fair to the OPP, its hands are tied in several ways. Releasing too much information can jeop- ardize an investigation in ways OPP can only explain months or years down the road. Police also have to be careful not to release information that could complicate a future jury trial. But as OPP communications Sgt. David Rektor acknowledged, they have to find a way to do better. Rektor says there will be an internal review to help police deal with social media issues. Police have to find a way to release enough infor- mation through social media and conventional routes to keep the public informed, avoid needless fear and still do their primary job of enforcing the law. Publication bans leave unanswered questions Dave Flaherty Goderich Signal Star As a member of the media covering the bail hearing for Boris Panovski, I was witness to the order of a publication ban. Panovski is charged with the shooting death of Donato Frigo, as well as the attempted murder of Frigo's wife, Eva Willer Frigo, on Sept. 13 at the Hullett Marsh Conservation Area. At that moment the decision came down, most of us groaned and rolled our eyes. Publication bans have long been labeled by the media as a roadblock in the passing of information to the public. In 2010, The Toronto Star ran a front-page editorial criticizing a publication ban imposed during the trial of Michael Rafferty, the man accused of murdering 8 -year-old Tori Stafford. The Star, and other media out- lets, had previously challenged a publication ban during the trials of those involved in the "Toronto 18" terrorism case. While I appreciate their efforts to challenge publication bans, it's important for members of the public to know these are not just arbitrary decisions made by the court. Under subsection of 517 of the Criminal Code of Canada, the courts are obligated to accept a request for a publication ban if it's made by the accused. If the prosecution makes the request, the decision comes at the discretion of the presiding judge. These bans are temporary and are lifted once either a prelimi- nary hearing has been held and the accused is discharged, or a trial has been completed. Media, as well as members of the public, are free to view and photocopy court records from the proceedings, but they cannot be published, documented, broadcasted or transmitted in any way. To the media, these bans can make us feel as though we have a goldmine of information at our fingertips that's unusable until the trial ends. In the view of the courts, it protects the accused's right to a fair trial as well as the presump- tion of innocence. It's also meant to dissuade jurors from being influenced by public opinion. For those members of the pub- lic who don't have the time to attend trials or study court records, they rely on the media to provide information. Local residents have already felt as though they've been kept in the dark for weeks after the tight-lipped nature of the OPP on the matter, with the local detachment getting orders from much higher in the organization. During conversations I've had about the incident, many locals have said they're all ready to lock up Mr. Panovski and throw away the key. Some have even stated Mr. Panovski "looks like the type of guy who would do this" based on Facebook photos, while others suggested he was guilty due to the fact he had left the country. When I saw the accused being led into the courtroom, he was smiling and asked the group of photographers, "How do I look?" Not exactly the demeanor of a man charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. Is this evidence of his guilt? The only simple answer is no. One of the only things we do know at this point is it will likely be a while before we find out exactly what happened that Sat- urday night at Hullet Marsh. 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