On May 2, Arianna Goberdhan鱿鱼视频app estranged husband Nicholas Baig of Pickering, Ont., was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 17 years for Arianna鱿鱼视频app murder in April 2017, when she was nine months pregnant. Under Canadian law an unborn child is not considered a human person until after fully exiting the birth canal.
Sherry Goberdhan, Arianna鱿鱼视频app mother, has begun a petition () sponsored by Conservative MP Cathay Wagantall calling upon the House of Commons to pass legislation 鈥渢hat recognizes that, when an assailant in a commission of a crime attacks a pregnant woman and injures or kills her pre-born child, then the assailant may be charged with an offence on behalf of the pre-born child.鈥�
Wagantall had previously sponsored Cassie and Molly鱿鱼视频app Law, a private member鱿鱼视频app bill C-255 that was defeated in 2017. That law was in honour of Cassie Kaake, who was seven months pregnant with her daughter Molly when they were murdered.
鈥淚 would say the impetus has been there to some degree across the whole nation since I last shared my private member鱿鱼视频app bill C-255,鈥� said Wagantall in an interview. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app still very much in the conscience of Canada.
鈥淭here is still a desire very much across the country that this is still an issue that needs to be addressed in the House of Commons,鈥� said Wagantall. 鈥淲e need to change our laws to reflect a woman鱿鱼视频app right to choose to carry her child to term.鈥�
Asaara was almost full-term when Baig stabbed her and her mother to death.
Goberdhan contacted Choice42, a new pro-life organization founded by Laura Klassen that has created a number of hard-hitting videos that have gone viral.
鈥淗e didn鈥檛 do it just to her but to his child as well,鈥� Goberdhan said in a video posted at choice42.com. 鈥淔or this law to say my granddaughter wasn鈥檛 a human being is so wrong. When we saw her five days after the fact, she was perfect.鈥�
Goberdhan tells of how joyfully Arianna was expecting her daughter and how well she took care of herself during her pregnancy. But the family鱿鱼视频app joyful expectation was crushed by the murders.
鈥淲hen we saw her lying in her mother鱿鱼视频app arms in the coffin, that image will be forever etched in my mind,鈥� Goberdhan said. 鈥淚t will be forever the baby I looked forward to holding.
鈥淲e have this petition going,鈥� said Klassen. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be pushing it hard, giving Cathay Wagantall lots of opportunity to bring it up in Parliament. It鱿鱼视频app so frustrating this is the second case of this in such a short period of time after Molly鱿鱼视频app Law.
鈥淲e鈥檙e at it again, full force,鈥� Klassen said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to keep attention on this, because it鱿鱼视频app not an issue that鱿鱼视频app going away.鈥�
An array of pro-life organizations is also rallying, including Campaign Life Coalition, the National Campus Life Network and Weneedalaw.ca.
Tabitha Ewert, legal counsel for Weneedalaw.ca, pointed out in a news release there were two murder victims in this case, but Baig only faced charges for one.
鈥淭his is a gap in the law that has very real consequences for families like the Goberdhans, who buried both a daughter and a granddaughter on the same day,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey know that justice will never be served as long as Asaara is not recognized as a victim by the law.
鈥淎 pre-born victims of crime law wouldn鈥檛 necessarily protect pre-born children, or even impact abortion in any way,鈥� Ewert said. 鈥淲hat it would do is recognize and honour a woman鱿鱼视频app choice to carry her child, and make a statement that we as a society believe she deserves to do that in safety.
鈥淎rianna and Asaara were both victims of a terrible crime, and our justice system currently does not address this adequately.鈥�