A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection says Kelowna resident Mary Ann Gill has been uncooperative with the investigation into claims she was subjected to an improper cavity search in May2016.
Image Credit: Google Plus
August 10, 2016 - 9:00 PM
KELOWNA – A Kelowna woman who told local media a harrowing tale of sexual assault at the hands of numerous U.S. border guards last May has refused to cooperate with the investigation.
When Mary Ann Gill and a friend returned to Kelowna after a motorcycle trip to Montana on May 14, 2016 she made allegations she was subjected to an improper strip search, a cavity search and verbal abuse at the border. Her story was published by a local website despite U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s policy that cavity searches must be done by a medical practitioner.
In May, iNFOnews.ca attempted to contact Gill who, according to U.S. Customs spokesperson Jason Givens, has also been uncooperative with RCMP and American investigators since she made the claims to RCMP following a traffic stop.
“Upon receipt of the allegation, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) management made numerous attempts to contact Ms. Gill in order to assist her with filing a formal complaint. Ms. Gill declined to respond to any of CBP’s attempts to contact her,” he says in an email. “CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility subsequently conducted a thorough investigation of the allegation, based upon the information available. Working through the RCMP, the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) made attempts to obtain a statement from Ms. Gill detailing the specifics of her allegations. Ms. Gill, through her attorney, declined to provide a statement to either the OPR or the RCMP.”
Givens says they will consider re-opening the investigation but only if credible evidence is produced.
“OPR has been unable to identify any evidence that corroborates the allegation Ms. Gill was the subject of either a strip search or an internal body cavity search at the port,” he writes. “OPR determined that a number of the facts reported in the media relative to the allegation were inconsistent with the evidence gathered.”
To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw or call 250-718-0428 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016