New support program announced to help traumatized jurors

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Ontario’s attorney general came to Hamilton today to announce a support program for jurors who suffer from stress or PTSD due to evidence they’ve seen and heard during trials.

Mark Farrant was diagnosed with PTSD after serving as a juror in a gruesome murder trial in Toronto. At the end of it all he was left with no emotional or psychological support.

“I kept thinking is this it? It didn’t feel like there was a formal discharge, it just felt like that was it and you went back into your life.”

And a Hamilton juror never expected the emotional impact of seeing the victim’s family at a murder trial.

The government says to help cope, they will offer eight free counseling sessions for all jurors who need it. The attorney general presented this new program in with the thought of the Bosma trial jurors in mind.

Criminal lawyer Jeff Manishen says the Bosma trial was a trigger for a former jury member at one of his previous cases. He says that jury member may need the support that was announced here today.

“After reading in the papers about the selection process of the Bosma case the jurors was saying how emotionally difficult it would be for them. The juror said it brought it all back to her. And she found it very difficult.”

Under the new program former jury members can also apply for support.

Before today, counseling for jury members was only granted if there was a special order from a judge. Now jurors from all criminal and civil trials or coroners inquests are entitled to support if they need it.

For new jurors a brochure will be handed out before a trial but for those former jurors still suffering, click here for more information