A Canadian judge could be removed from his position following comments he made during a 2014 rape case.
According to court documents, Federal Court Judge Robin Camp repeatedly asked the victim why she didn’t fight harder to ward off her attacker.
During the trial, Camp asked the victim — who was raped over a sink — “why didn’t [she] just sink [her] bottom down into the basin so he couldn’t penetrate [her].” He also asked the victim why she “couldn’t keep her knees together” and why she didn’t skew her pelvis to avoid the attacker.
Camp also posed the theory that “young women want to have sex, particularly if they’re drunk.”
Camp has admitted that his comments were “insensitive and inappropriate,” according to the CBC, but he still says he should keep his job, after sensitivity training and counseling.
Camp’s daughter Lauren, who herself is a victim of rape, expressed support for her father in a letter. According to the CBC, she wrote that he is "old-fashioned in some ways" and that "there are gaps in his understanding of how women think and experience life. But he is not an inherent or dedicated sexist."
"I have seen him advance in understanding and empathy for victims, vulnerable litigants and those who have experienced trauma," she added.
The Canadian Judicial Council will hold inquiry through a five-member panel in the coming days to decide whether Camp should keep his job.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
