Judge Who Asked Woman in Rape Trial Why She Couldn't Keep Her Knees Together Quits

A judge who made headlines for asking a woman why she couldn't keep her knees together has resigned.

Judge resigns.
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Unapproved Source: Federal Court via CNN's Twitter

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Judge resigns.

A judge in Canada who made headlines after asking an alleged rape victim why she didn't keep her knees together during a 2014 trial has resigned, CNNreported Friday. The Canadian Judicial Council said Robin Camp's comments were "manifestly and profoundly destructive" to the concept of impartiality in its report, adding that Camp was now "incapable" of performing his duties:

We find that the judge's conduct, viewed in its totality and in light of all of its consequences, was so manifestly and profoundly destructive of the concept of impartiality, integrity and independence of the judicial role that public confidence is sufficiently undermined to render the judge incapable of executing the judicial office.

Camp resigned Thursday following the council's recommendation that he be removed. In a statement released to the Globe and Mail by Camp via his attorney, he apologized to "everyone who was hurt by my comments during the Wagar trial." The offending comments, made when Camp—who became a federal judge in 2015—was a provincial court judge, also included a suggestion to the alleged victim that she "skew her pelvis" to prevent penetration.

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The trial involved a displaced man accused of raping a displaced 19-year-old woman in a bathroom. According to a trial transcript from the Globe and Mail, Camp asked the alleged victim "Why didn't you just sink your bottom down into the basin so he couldn't penetrate you?" Additionally, Camp asked the woman, "Why couldn't you just keep your knees together?" Camp ultimately acquitted the accused individual.

On Thursday, the Guardian added in their report, 19 of the Canadian Judicial Council's 23 judges recommended Camp's removal. Since its 1971 inception, the council has only called for the removal of two other judges. Like Camp, they both quit before being formally removed.

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