Alberta prosecutors have filed an appeal against a jury’s decision to clear Bradley Barton of charges related to the death of an aboriginal sex worker.
Barton pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death sex worker Cindy Gladue.
He was acquitted of the charge by a jury on March. 18 and the appeal was filed Apr. 2.
Gladue met Barton in Jun. 2011, while she was working in Edmonton. Sometime during their encounter, the couple engaged in what Barton argued was rough but consensual sex.
Gladue bled to death in a hotel bathroom while Barton went to sleep in a nearby bed.
The young mother died as a result of internal injuries that prosecutors say were inflicted by Barton.
Public outrage
The prosecutors’ renewed commitment to pursuing charges against Barton comes in the midst of public outrage against the acquittal, which critics are calling an unjust and racially biased decision on the part of the jury.
The appeal announcement was made the same day as many aboriginal and women’s rights community organizations protested against the initial acquittal.
The protests were organized via Facebook, under the banner of multiple event pages listed as “Justice for Cindy Gladue.”
It is not yet certain when the appeal will be heard.
