31 year-old Shannon Barry suffered a broken jaw, crushed eye socket and facial nerve damage by an attacker in a group screaming "dykes" and "faggots" at her and her friends as they left a bar.
Now, a 14 year-old boy is charged in the April assault and Edmonton’s chief of police is publicly apologizing for responding officer’s failure to follow standard procedures. There was no dog or helicopter search for the assailant, no timely witness interviews or even a report.
How prevalent is homophobia in Alberta? What forms of abuse do gay Albertans commonly face? Are our community leaders doing enough to address hatred?