Canada Police Still Wait for Formal Complaint, Nine Women Accuse Jian Ghomeshi of Sexual Violence

Canada police are still waiting for a formal complaint against former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi who has been accused of sexual violence. At least nine women complained that they had been victims of Ghomeshi's sexual aggression.

According to Chief Bill Blair, police need a complainant who would come forward and formally lodge the complaint against the alleged offender. Even though nine women have opened up about the alleged sexual violence, no one seems to have gone to police for help. Eight women opened up to CBC and The Star while another spoke to the Huffington Post. A couple of alleged victims decided to get identified as well.

One of the alleged victims who have openly talked about it is Canadian actress Lucy DeCoutere. She claimed that Ghomeshi had slapped and choked in his apartment. She thought that she would receive negative reactions after opening up about what Ghomeshi allegedly did to her. However, people have highly appreciated DeCoutere's courage to talk about the incident. Hundreds of people responded on social networking websites that they believed in what she had claimed. They supported her with the hashtag #IBelieveLucy. While DeCoutere was the first woman to talk about the alleged sexual violence openly, she apparently inspired another woman to uncover her identity while accusing Ghomeshi of sexual aggression. Author Reva Seth wrote about the night in 2002 when the radio star allegedly assaulted her, CTV News reported.

On the other hand, these allegations through news networks are apparently not enough for police to start an investigation. Blair said that police were "quite prepared to conduct a criminal investigation" if any of the victims lodged a formal complaint. "People may be reluctant to report their victimization and to participate in a criminal invitation or the criminal justice system," Blair said. "Our first priority is their safety and recovery."

Toronto Sun's Joe Warmington called it a "ludicrous" notion that police would require being "invited in to probe any case." He wrote that the chief should have at least asked his detectives to talk to the alleged victims on their own. Earlier Ghomeshi said that he always had consensual activities with his partners even though he admitted that he preferred getting "adventurous" in bed.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au