Canadian Judge's Shocking Comments to Victim

A judge in Canada may be removed from the bench for his conduct. He was in trial when he asked this 19-year-old woman in a rape case why she couldn’t “just keep her knees together.” The case took place in 2014 when he was a provincial court judge. Federal Court Judge Robin Camp is in a week long judicial hearing which will determine where he will be booted from his position or not.

The 19-year-old said she was raped over a bathroom sink at a house party. According to records from the trial, Camp had asked her why she didn’t push her bottom into the sink or “skew her pelvis.” Then he openly asked “Why couldn’t you just keep your knees together?” While they were talking about sex in general, he also said “Young women want to have sex, particularly if they’re drunk.” In another part of the trial he said, “Some sex and pain sometimes go together… that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” 64-year-old Camp had acquitted the man charged and told him, “I want you to tell your friends, your male friends, that they have to be more gentle with women. They have to be far more gentle with women. They have to be far more patient. And they have to be very careful. To protect themselves, they have to be very careful.” A new trial is scheduled for November because the verdict was overturned on appeal.

Moments from the trial led the Canadian Judicial Council to open their investigations. The South African-born judge said he didn’t get trained on sexual assault cases, he focused the most on contract and bankruptcy cases. He apologized to the women for his comments saying they were rude and insulting. Camp had undergone sensitivity training and he has apologized publicly several times.