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Judge asks alleged rape victim 'why couldn't you keep your knees together'

Robin Camp has been suspended for his remarks in the 2014 trial

Caroline Mortimer
Thursday 07 July 2016 07:28 EDT
Judge Camp is now facing a hearing in Calgary and could lose his job
Judge Camp is now facing a hearing in Calgary and could lose his job (Federal Court of Canada)

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A judge who asked an alleged rape victim why she “couldn’t keep her knees together” is facing a public hearing to keep his job in Canada.

During the 2014 trial of Scott Wagner, who was accused of raping a 19-year-old girl over a sink at a party, Judge Robin Camp asked the alleged victim "Why couldn't you just keep your knees together?" and "Why didn't you just sink your bottom down into the basin so he couldn't penetrate you?".

He also repeatedly referred to her as "the accused".

Wagner was originally acquitted by the judge but Alberta's Court of Appeal overturned the ruling in 2015 and ordered a fresh trial.

Judge Camp is now facing a week-long hearing in Calgary before the Canadian Judicial Council in September and could lose his job after several legal experts at the University of Calgary complained about his conduct last year.

In his public submission to the CJC, he apologised and agreed he had made insensitive and inappropriate remarks during the trial but insists he will be a better judge now that he had undergone further training and counselling with a judge, psychologist and expert on sexual assault.

He said he underwent the training "with a view to interrogating his beliefs and improving his understanding of the law, the social context of sexual violence and the psychological impact of sexual assault."

The submission also noted that he planned to apologised publicly at the hearing.

All three are expected to testify on his behalf before the five-person committee of judges and lawyers, CBC reports.

The panel will decide whether Judge Camp should be allowed to remain on the bench of Federal Court judges even though the incident happened while he was a provincial court judge in Calgary.

Anti-women laws that still exist in 2016

Judge Camp is suspended from hearing cases.

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