Brother of 13-year-old murder victim expresses relief over Ali guilty verdict

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced     sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

The brother of a 13-year-old girl who was murdered in a Burnaby, B.C., park six years ago says his family is relieved at the guilty verdict handed to Ibrahim Ali last week, calling it the best possible outcome.

The girl's name is protected by a publication ban, so the brother also cannot be named.

Speaking on the steps of B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver Monday, the brother said family members are still struggling to come to terms with what happened.

"My sister... was sexually assaulted and murdered in Central Park in Burnaby in broad daylight a mere minutes' walk away from our home at the time. It has shattered any sense of security that our family had and tore us asunder," he said.

The brother said the family felt "revictimized and retraumitized" by defence counsel arguments that suggested his sister was not an "innocent" child as the Crown had portrayed.

"We are shocked and revolted at the appalling conduct of this defence throughout this case," he said. "They chose to drag [her] name through the mud. They chose to accuse my 13-year-old sister of having consensual relations with the then-27-year-old Ali."

The brother said the family intends to file complaints against Ali's defence team with the goal of having them disbarred.

A jury found Ali guilty of first-degree murder on Friday after a trial that lasted nearly eight months. However, hearings on matters arising from the case continue.

On Monday, a lawyer representing Ali began the process of appealing the conviction, citing 25 grounds including allegations about "third-party suspects."

The notice of appeal filed by Kevin McCullough says two other men were arrested for the killing, but the B.C. Supreme Court erred by refusing to allow evidence about them to be brought up at the trial of Ibrahim Ali.

The notice also describes "two Asian men" who McCullough says were seen carrying a heavy bag near where the girl's body was found in Central Park in 2017.

Other grounds for appeal include alleged bias against the defence; a dispute over the Crown's suggestion the girl did not have a boyfriend; and that the court didn't properly address safety concerns about death threats made against Ali's lawyers.

McCullough said in an interview and in an affidavit filed Monday that police told him someone close to the proceedings brought a handgun into the Vancouver courtroom on Friday with an intention to kill.

The Vancouver Police Department confirmed it is investigating the gun allegation.

"One man has been arrested and was released pending further investigation. We are unable to share additional information at this time," said the VPD in an email.

Another affidavit describes more than a dozen messages received by McCullough and his firm that include threats to kill the lawyer and his family.

On Tuesday, the hearing was moved to Courtroom 67, which is fitted with a metal detector.

For anyone who has been sexually assaulted, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services via this Government of Canada website or the Ending Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.