@Egyptianflint:
To be fair, I think the defense relied more on the defendant being a Zionist and the judge being – surprise surprise- a Zionist as well.
@aliyapabani:
“The defence relied on the evidence of a psychiatrist who said low blood sugar had caused Henschel to become ‘irritable,’ while his prior military experience had left him with PTSD, specifically a fear of crowds.”
Are you fucking kidding me
@MovatSusie:
There are all sorts of new interesting defences coming from our ideologically driven judges.
Thanks to religion, everything man does that’s bad, is woman’s fault, everything good is man’s doing; lawyers, judges, and the catholic church take that to the ninth degree. Eve, you know. It’s disgusting.
Mr. Violent Racist Misogynist Henschel, war guy:
@gh05tygh05ty:
“Your behaviour on the day in question was criminal. It caused harm. However, having considered everything, in my view, the appropriate disposition is an absolute discharge,” Justice Norman Boxall told the court.
MontrealHicham:
Can you imagine if this guy had done the exact same thing to someone who was Jewish?
There would have been three days of national mourning and a nonstop 120 hour debate in Parliament.
@timeofaquarius:
White Christo-Judaic can punch Muslim and there are no consequences under Canadian Talmudic Law.
@timeofaquarius:
Have the rabid racists been arrested? Only for the white judge to free them because they were simply being ’emotional’.
@Cozy_Offline:
And they’re already using the law to retroactively persecute protestors. Something’s gotta give..
Swiss Man Granted Absolute Discharge After Ottawa Protester Assault by Rachel Morgan, July 22, 2026, Newsy Today
A Swiss man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a protester outside an Ottawa defence conference in May 2024 has been granted an absolute discharge. Justice Norman Boxall issued the decision in court on Wednesday, resulting in a finding of guilt but no conviction or conditions for 58-year-old David Henschel. The ruling prompted an immediate notice of appeal from the Crown, which characterized the sentence as “demonstrably unfit.”
The Sentencing of David Henschel
David Henschel, an employee of Swiss munitions firm Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Schweiz AG, was attending the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CANSEC) conference when the assault occurred. According to an agreed statement of facts, Henschel engaged in a verbal exchange with protesters, telling one individual he was a “f—ing racist” and was “proud of it.” Shortly after, he backhanded a 21-year-old woman in a hijab in the face with a closed fist.
In his sentencing remarks, Justice Boxall rejected the argument that the assault was motivated by hate, describing the incident instead as a “situational and one-time event” driven by an inability to control emotions.This clearly misogynistic judge needs to be firedThe defense had presented evidence from a psychiatrist suggesting that low blood sugar caused irritability and that Henschel’s military background resulted in PTSD and a fear of crowds. While the judge granted the absolute discharge, he ordered Henschel to pay a $5,000 victim surcharge within 14 days, noting the amount was higher than the typical $100 fine due to the defendant’s failure to appear for a previously scheduled sentencing date.
Public Reaction and Legal Implications
The courtroom proceedings were marked by tension, with supporters of the victim shouting “shame” and “racist” as the decision was read. Police were required to clear the gallery following the outburst. Bassam Hashem, the father of the victim, stated outside the courthouse that the outcome left his family feeling that they were being treated as “second-class citizens” who could be assaulted without consequence. The victim, in a statement provided to the court, described the encounter as a “targeted attack meant to hurt and silence me.”
Did You Know?
David Henschel was required to pay a $5,000 victim surcharge, a figure substantially higher than the standard $100 penalty, because he failed to appear in person for his initial sentencing hearing in July 2024.
Future Legal Proceedings
The Crown’s decision to appeal the sentence means the case will likely undergo further review in a higher court. A possible next step involves an appellate court evaluating whether Justice Boxall erred in his assessment of the sentencing principles or the weight given to the psychiatric evidence provided by the defense. Until the appeal is heard, the absolute discharge remains the current disposition of the case.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an absolute discharge?
An absolute discharge results in a finding of guilt, but the court does not enter a conviction and imposes no conditions or probation on the offender.
Why did the judge reject the claim of a hate-motivated crime?
Justice Boxall stated that while the situation was emotional and Henschel failed to control his actions, there was no evidence to support the claim that the assault was motivated by hate.
What happens to the appeal filed by the Crown?
The Crown has filed a notice of appeal, which allows a higher court to review the sentence to determine if it was legally appropriate or “demonstrably unfit” as argued by the prosecution.
Do you believe the legal system should consider personal medical history when sentencing individuals involved in public confrontations?
Too many Canadian judges coddle racists (and rapists and abusers of women).
Court gives arms contractor discharge on assault against protester in Ottawa by Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press, July 23, 2026, NanaimoNewsNOW
Justice Norman Boxall disagreed with the claim that the incident was racist and granted the defence’s request for no conviction. He said Henschel’s actions were a “frustrated and emotional response” in the heat of the moment and he has since shown remorse.
Supporters of the victim who watched the proceedings gasped when they heard the ruling, and several in the courtroom shouted angrily as the proceedings concluded.
Henschel now faces a $5,000 fine for failing to appear in person for his sentencing last week.big fine for disrespecting the court and judge, nothing for violently abusing an innocent unarmed woman. FFS, this is disgusting misogynistic shit by Judge Boxall.
Karimjee told reporters the sentence was “demonstrably unfit” and the Crown already has filed for appeal.
Defence lawyer James Foord told reporters outside the courthouse after the ruling that it’s a “relief” for his client to have the “matter completed after many, many years of stress.” fucking embellish much?
Henschel, who lives in Switzerland and worked for munitions firm Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Schweiz AG, travelled to Canada for the convention in 2024.
On the day the assault took place, Henschel had encountered several protesters on his walk from his hotel to the conference centre where the arms show was held, according to the agreed statement of facts.
According to the statement, Henschel walked by one protester and said, “Shalom.” The protester shouted, “Free, free, free Palestine!” and taunted Henschel by asking him to punch him.
Another protester accused him of being a “racist.” The agreed statement of facts says Henschel replied that he is a “racist” and “proud of it.”
After that, he crossed the street and a Canadian-Palestinian woman wearing a hijab quickly approached him and said that attending the convention amounts to supporting a genocide.
He replied, “Shalom,” and she said, “Shame on you, sir.”
Henschel swung his arm at her and struck her in the face with a closed fist, the statement of facts said.
Bystanders recorded the event and shared clips on social media, which were entered as evidence in court.
After striking her, Henschel walked away and pushed another protester to the ground. Then another person hit him in the head with a megaphone before he was arrested.
In her trial testimony, the woman who was assaulted — Sali Hashem, 21 — told the court that Henschel could have simply “walked past like everyone else” but chose to strike her. When she came to, she said, her ears rang and she felt pain.
“He attacked me solely because I was peacefully expressing my beliefs. This is not just an assault but a hate-motivated act,” she told a court hearing on June 5. “That moment will always live in me like a nightmare.”
Karimjee had argued Henschel’s conduct that day required a strong denunciation and jail time.
“He says he’s proud of being a racist and admits to being a racist,” Karimjee told the court in June.
Before the June hearing concluded, Henschel turned and apologized to Hashem.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the harm that I’ve caused,” he said. “I would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially a young lady.”douche fucker! I bet his lawyer instructed him to say this to please the judge
The defence emphasized that Henschel is a war veteran with the British Armed Forces who experienced trauma during his time in conflict zones. He served in Iraq, Afghanistan, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere before retiring from military life in the mid 2000s.so what? too many of those troops raped and murdered girls for fun and bragged about it. Did Henschel? Why did he choose to hit a woman, instead of a man? Misogyny or cowardice? Regardless he’s a violent abusive piece of shit racist who needs to be permanently banned from Canada.
Foord said the incident in Ottawa doesn’t reflect his client’s lifetime record of protecting other people.protecting people, or murdering them?
Henschel felt “targeted” by the protesters and a “fight or flight response took over” that led him to act spontaneously, Foord argued. bullshit, your client was trained for war FFS and now he’s an arms dealer – he fucking knows well that an unarmed female protester in a peaceful country like Canada is no threat. I watched the clips. In my view, Henschel intentionally chose to hit a woman because he’s a fucking hate-filled bully and a pathetic coward, and Mr. Misogyny the judge rewards him for it like so many judges in our patriarchal world do (to load on double abuse to abused and murdered women).
The embarrassment from this incident caused difficulties for him at work I would fucking hope so, he ought to have been fired, not allowed to resign! and he resigned, Foord added.
The defence called psychologist Dr. Greg Passey to testify as an expert witness. He said Henschel suffers from severe PTSD, diabetes and hypertension, and perceived the protesters to be provocative and potentially dangerous.JFC! Smells like the doc is another fucking misogynist. What bullshit testimony to get a violent racist woman hater off. Henshel belongs in prison, the doc and judge too, for enabling this fucking crime and protecting the violent offender.
The judge said he did not find Henschel’s actions were caused by his PTSD and diabetes. He said that if the incident had been inspired by racism, there would have been other racist actions in Henschel’s life before this.I bet there are other racist violent incidents by Mr. War Machine that we’ll never find out about, perhaps also rapes.
Swiss man who assaulted protester in Ottawa gets absolute discharge, Supporters of woman attacked outside 2024 defence conference shouted in disbelief as judge gave his ruling by Dan Taekema · CBC News · Jul 22, 2026
A Swiss man who pleaded guilty to punching a protester in the face outside an Ottawa defence conference in 2024 was given an absolute discharge Wednesday, a result that was met with angry shouts from supporters of the victim.
David Henschel’s discharge includes a finding of guilt, but no conviction or conditions to follow.
“Your behaviour on the day in question was criminal. It caused harm. However, having considered everything, in my view, the appropriate disposition is an absolute discharge,” Justice Norman Boxall told the court.
Henschel, who has a military background, stood at attention as the discharge was granted and saluted after the judge read it out.
He has 14 days to pay a $5,000 victim surcharge. The judge pointed out that’s substantially higher than the typical $100 fine, but the amount wasn’t related to the assault. Rather, it’s because Henschel failed to appear during his first sentencing appearance earlier this month.
Supporters of the Palestinian-Canadian woman Henschel struck packed the courtroom and shouted “shame” after the decision. Police eventually cleared the crowd out, as some yelled “racist, racist, racist” at Henschel.
Outside court, Bassam Hashem, the father of the victim, said the attack left his family feeling unsafe and his children no longer attend demonstrations.
“We came to this country for one reason … that we can express ourselves. That we are equal citizens,” he said. “Today we were told, ‘No. You are second-class citizens. You can be assaulted and that’s OK.'”
The Crown has already filed a notice of appeal, which calls the sentence “demonstrably unfit.”
Pleaded guilty to assault
Henschel, 58, was an employee of Swiss munitions firm Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Schweiz AG when he attended the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CANSEC) conference in May 2024.
Court previously heard that as Henschel walked toward Ottawa’s EY Centre he interacted with several protesters, one of whom yelled that he was “racist.”
“I’m a f—ing racist and I’m proud of it,” Henschel replied, according to an agreed statement of facts the judge read in court Wednesday.
As he continued walking, Henschel encountered a 21-year-old woman in a hijab who told him he was “actively supporting genocide” by attending the conference.
Henschel swung his arm, intentionally backhanding the protester in the face with a closed fist. As the woman dropped to the ground, Henschel continued walking toward the conference centre, pushing another protester before police stepped in and arrested him.
He pleaded guilty to assault in court last year.
- ‘He is not above the law’: Swiss man who punched anti-war protester a no-show in Ottawa court
- Swiss man who assaulted protester at 2024 Ottawa defence conference blames low-blood sugar, PTSD yup, abusers of women, and their lawyers, always blame something else, never the fucking abuser, and judges fucking allow it, making abusers more deadly. What if Henschel kills a woman next?
Assistant Crown attorney Moiz Karimjee argued Henschel should spend time in jail for the assault. Henschel’s lawyer James Foord called for a discharge.
The defence relied on the evidence of a psychiatrist who said low blood sugar had caused Henschel to become “irritable,” while his prior military experience had left him with PTSD, specifically a fear of crowds.JFC
Outside court, Foord said his client is “remorseful” and relieved after the judge’s decision.
“What happened in this case is a human experience when people come together and it doesn’t end as well as it should,” said the defence lawyer. “Everybody has something to learn from that.”You fucking asshole. All I learned, is Canada has one more of too many misogynistic judges
The woman who was struck said in a victim impact statement she had been subjected to a “targeted attack meant to hurt and silence me.”
In delivering his sentence, Justice Boxall said he totally rejects that’s Henschel’s actions were racially motivated.
“This was an emotional situation. Mr. Henschel failed to control his emotions, but that does not make it motivated by hate,” said the judge, who described the attack as a “situational and one-time event.”Pfffffft. It doesn’t matter that he lost it, his actions were criminal. I do not believe you Mr. Zionistiche Misogyny Judge. I bet Henschel will hit a woman again, or perhaps, kill one next time.
Boxall also underlined that the woman who was hurt had a legal right to protest.
“She is entitled to protest,” he said. “Mr. Henschel is not entitled to respond violently.”so why the fuck no prison time? FFS!
2nd sentencing date
Wednesday’s appearance was a second attempt at sentencing after Henschel failed to attend court as expected on July 13, instead appearing virtually from Switzerland.
That sparked a strong reaction from Karimjee, who told court that Henschel is “not above the law.”
Defence lawyer James Foord reiterated that his client suffers from PTSD and had “not been doing well at all.”
Boxall agreed to rescheduled the sentencing, warning that if Henschel failed to appear in person a second time a bench warrant would be issued for his arrest and he would be charged with failure to appear.JFC, attending virtually gets judicial care, a woman assaulted gets nothing (but misogyny, disrespect, patriarchy and hatred). and lookie below, same fucking judge!
‘I will kill everyone around you’: Threat to ex by father in double murder-suicide emerges, Mohammed Al-Lami is believed to have killed his 2 sons in south Ottawa, police say by Kristy Nease, CBC News, Jul 02, 2026
WARNING: This story contains details of intimate partner violence.
Police have identified the man who is believed to have killed his seven- and 12-year-old sons in his south Ottawa home and firebombed his dental practice in a nearby village before dying by suicide in a vehicle fire on Monday, as details of his threat to cause bodily harm to his ex-wife come to light.
CBC News had earlier learned that Mohammed Al-Lami, 40, was currently on active probation for threatening to cause bodily harm to his ex-wife, the mother of the boys, in 2024, according to Ottawa court records.
CBC has now obtained Ontario Court of Justice recordings of his short trial in February and the decision and sentence in April, in which the judge read excerpts from the emailed threat.
We don’t have any evidence about remorse, we don’t have any evidence about insight, [and there’s been] no acceptance of responsibility, so I just have a concern in terms of future conduct.- Assistant Crown prosecutor David Rodgers, on April 10
Ottawa police said in a news release late Thursday afternoon that they are supporting the boys’ mother “as she grieves this unimaginable loss,” and out of respect for her wishes and her family’s privacy, the names of her children will not be released.
The force “recognizes the community’s desire for answers” but forensic examinations and other investigative actions are ongoing, and further information will be provided when they’re done.
“Incidents like this affect us all, and we acknowledge the shock and heartbreak many are experiencing as we work to understand what happened. Please check in on one another. If you or someone you know is struggling, consider reaching out to family, friends, a trusted community member, local support organizations, or professional services in your area. You do not have to navigate this alone,” the release stated.
‘I will make you a worldwide story’
As CBC News earlier reported, Al-Lami was charged in 2024 with threatening to cause bodily harm to his ex and her current partner in an email he sent his ex on Jan. 21, 2024.
A short and bizarre trial took place Feb. 22 this year, after Al-Lami rejected the Crown’s offer to resolve the matter with a one-year peace bond. The dentist was self-represented, and he repeatedly refused to talk to the lawyer appointed by the court to cross-examine Al-Lami’s ex on Al-Lami’s behalf.
His ex testified that they were married and had two children together, then separated and divorced in 2022. Al-Lami stopped paying child support the same month he sent the threatening email in 2024 and hadn’t paid since. They had an agreement that child support would be adjusted between them every year, “but he hasn’t been following the agreement,” she said.
The threats in Al-Lami’s email included the following lines:
- “I will kill everyone around you and your pimp … in a very wild and savage way. I won’t kill you. I will leave you alone, disabled in a wheelchair that you can’t move, even to visit your loved ones’ graves.”
- “I’ll make you an example of the unfair justice system. I will make you a worldwide story.”
- “When you do something wrong to me, you pay for it. You pay for it either through the child support or whatever I feel suitable to respond to your actions until I end it the way I like for you and [your] pig,” referring to his ex’s current partner.
“I was actually astonished because I was asking him for child support. I did not expect this,” his ex testified about her reaction to the email.
‘He always threatened me,’ ex says
“I thought maybe he was high or something because he always threatened me but it was always in Arabic or [between] the lines, like, ‘You will see what’s going to happen’ … ‘Revenge will be served cold.’ But he never said this like, directly. So it took me a few days to absorb it.”
Under cross-examination by Marni Munsterman, the lawyer appointed by the court, Al-Lami’s ex said she came forward because of her children. “I just felt, what if he literally, this happened? And then who’s going to be there for my kids if anything happened to me?” she said.
I just don’t know what can happen. I just didn’t want to live with the unpredictability.- Al-Lami’s ex wife, Feb. 22
She didn’t take his other threats seriously in the past. And while she was concerned about the 2024 email, she said she didn’t think she was scared of him.
“I just don’t know what can happen. I just didn’t want to live with the unpredictability,” she testified.
She also admitted that she went to police only after her current partner asked her to.
No defence
“What do you say, sir?” Ontario Court Justice Norman Boxall asked Al-Lami after assistant Crown attorney David Rodgers closed his case.
“I don’t have anything to say, Your Honour,” Al-Lami replied.
“Is there a reason?” the judge asked.
“No, I just don’t have anything to say.”
After some long pauses and heavy sighs from the judge, Boxall told Al-Lami that he was entitled to represent himself, “but I’m not sure you’re being very effective.”
“I don’t understand why you’ve done this trial,” Boxall said later. “I don’t know what’s operating. … The Crown made you an offer which would have guaranteed you wouldn’t have a criminal record. You turned it down, for reasons I don’t understand, and then you didn’t testify. You didn’t make any arguments.”
Boxall then ordered Al-Lami to return to court for his decision in April.
Crown sought response program
On April 10, Rodgers asked the judge for 18 months of probation, during which Al-Lami would have had to report regularly to a probation officer.
Rodgers also asked the judge to order Al-Lami to submit his DNA, and to attend a program “that helps people take responsibility for and change behaviour that has been hurtful, disrespectful, abusive or controlling to a current or former spouse or intimate partner,” according to an Ontario government description.
“We don’t have any evidence about remorse, we don’t have any evidence about insight, [and there’s been] no acceptance of responsibility, so I just have a concern in terms of future conduct,” Rodgers said.
The judge ordered 12 months of probation for Al-Lami without the condition to report to a probation officer, and declined the Crown’s requests for treatment programming and a DNA submission.
‘Hopefully life goes on’: judge It sure as hell ended for two innocent boys, and left their mother grieving unbearable losses for the rest of her life. Happy now Judge?
“It was a threat in writing, and I find it was one that was to be taken seriously … but I’m not satisfied that it was a threat to actually cause the harm. That’s quite a different thing,” Boxall said.
Addressing Al-Lami directly, Boxall said the conditional discharge “means you can say you’ve never been charged with a criminal offence, and you don’t have a criminal record,” but that any failure to follow probation orders could cancel the discharge and result in a conviction, sentence and record.
“Hopefully life goes on, sir, all right? … I don’t pretend to know all the background of the situation. I’m sure it’s complicated. The intention of the court is that your career goes on, you see your children, you’re a good dad, the two of you maintain separate lives, but your life goes on otherwise,” Boxall told him.JESUSFUCKINGCHRIST, what’s with all these judges letting bad guys off to protect their fucking futures? What of the victim’s future? What of the two dead boys? Where’s the judge’s concern and protection for their futures?
Support is available for anyone affected by intimate partner violence. You can access support services and local resources across Canada by visiting this website. If your situation is urgent, call 911.
If you’re worried someone you know may be experiencing intimate partner violence, here are some warning signs, according to the Canadian Red Cross:
- Victim says their feelings and wishes are ignored by their partner.
- They are being name-called or criticized.
- They are being controlled financially, emotionally, or physically.
- They are being kept away from friends by their partner.
- Partner threatens to hurt victim or show anger if they don’t get what they want.
- Partner stalks victim.
- Victim has expressed they’ve been abused before, verbally, emotionally, physically or sexually.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, here’s where to look for help:
- Canada’s Suicide Crisis Helpline : Call or text 988.
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868. Text 686868. Live chat counselling on the website .
- Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.
- This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you’re worried about.
If you’re worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them about it, says the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs:
- Suicidal thoughts.
- Substance use.
- Purposelessness.
- Anxiety.
- Feeling trapped.
- Hopelessness and helplessness.
- Withdrawal.
- Anger.
- Recklessness.
- Mood changes.
Refer also to:
2026: JFC! Misogyny and the patriarchy wins again, 48 times: “Jeffrey Sloka, guilty of dozens of sexual assaults, found not guilty by judge.” Sloka cannot return to medicine despite acquittal; College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario revoked his medical licence because he sexually abused patients during examinations. Morgana Kellythorne, college prosecutor: “These patients were exploited and deceived by Dr. Sloka for his own sexual purposes.” Justice Craig Parry, the misogynist is this galling case. FFS.
If only the writers of the fairy tales in the bible had written them this way:
We wouldn’t have this abusive shit:
etc.
etc.
etc.
etc.