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Court hears victim impact statements in teenage human trafficking challenge

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A 14-year-old girl who was trafficked in hotel rooms in London and Windsor says she hates herself, feels depressed every day and is unable to go to school because of her shame, according to a victim impact statement presented in court Tuesday by a crown attorney.

« I cannot handle the smell of male cologne because it causes me to remember what happened, » the girl wrote.

« My body is sick and it will never heal. »

A second victim impact statement, read by the father of a 17-year-old girl who was trafficked by the same men, said his whole family has been impacted by the crime. He added that he no longer trusts or thinks the best of people, and has installed cameras and lights in his home for extra security.

« It’s hard to put a child into the world where there’s so much disregard for the female gender, and you can’t protect her, » he said.

The names of both girls are protected by a publication ban.

Their traffickers, Minas Abara, 20, and Nicholas Kulafofski, 19, both from Kitchener, Ont., pleaded guilty in June to human trafficking and profiting from the sale of sexual services.

The pair appeared in a London courtroom Tuesday along with their respective defence lawyers, who argued that the mandatory minimum sentence set out in the Criminal Code of Canada violates the men’s right to be free of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. This right is included in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

Kulafofski’s lawyer, Frances Brennan, is seeking a sentence of 15 to 18 months in jail and two years probation for her client. 

Abara’s lawyer, Christopher Uwagboe, is seeking two to three years.

But Assistant Crown Attorney Bianca DiBiase argued Tuesday that even the four-year mandatory minimum sentences don’t go far enough. The crown is seeking five years for Kulafofski, and seven to eight years for Abara.

« Human trafficking is a predatory, dehumanizing and parasitic crime. Simply put, it is a form of slavery, » DiBiase wrote in her submission to the court. 

« This type of reprehensible behaviour warrants a significant penitentiary sentence to meet the objectives of denunciation and deterrence. »

A third co-accused, 19-year-old Paywand Sohrabzadeh, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison for human trafficking, as well as making child pornography and profiting from the sale of sexual services. His lawyer is not challenging the sentence.

‘Grossly disproportionate,’ say defence lawyers

‘I think four years at that point in your life is a huge chunk of time, most of us have accomplished great strides,’ said defence lawyer Frances Brennan of the impact a mandatory four-year minimum sentence would have on her client. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)

Both Brennan and Uwagboe pointed to their clients’ youth, as well as what they call, a commitment to self-improvement, in making the case for lighter sentences. 

« He’s a young kid, » said Uwagboe of his client, Minas Abara, who now has a young son himself. 

« In this particular set of circumstances you have young individuals who are very close in age to the complainants in this case, taking them to hotels, benefiting from the conduct of these complainants. [My client’s] conduct certainly is worthy of jail, but the sentence range being offered by the crown is just far too high for the actual conduct in this particular case. »

Defence lawyer Chris Uwagboe says the sentence sought by the crown would be ‘grossly disproportionate’ to his conduct. (Paula Duhatschek/CBC)

Brennan said she doesn’t believe setting aside the mandatory minimum sentence in this case will mean that the courts will take human trafficking any less seriously in the future.

« I think the success in this particular case means that a fit and fair sentence will be imposed in a particular case, » she said. 

The court heard that both men have the support of their families and girlfriends. They each read statements in which they apologized to the victims.

Men exerted ‘high degree of control,’ crown says

DiBiase told the court that the men exerted a high degree of control over the girls. 

She added that « working » conditions in the hotel rooms were inherently dangerous, and that the girls were left alone with their clients. Occasionally, the johns became angry when one of the girls insisted on condom use, a situation that DiBiase said could have easily turned ugly. 

« Both girls were taken from their hometown to work in different cities. The accused controlled what cities the victims worked in and had complete control over the victims’ work environment. The accused decided the work schedule, what sexual acts (the victims) would perform and the price for each sexual service, » she wrote in her submission.

Both accused also kept the majority of the money earned by the victims, the court heard. 

Canadian judges have previously struck down the mandatory minimum penalty for human trafficking, but the sentence remains on the books. 

The final decision in this case will be read by Justice Kevin McHugh on Dec. 20 in London. 

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Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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Anglais

MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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