Auckland September 3rd 2024
Today Rubashkyn has been convicted and discharged after pleading guilty to assault by dousing me in liquid at Let Women Speak, Albert Park on 25 March 2023. In my opinion this sentence is appropriate.
In the moment, this offence affected my sense of safety, and acted as a catalyst to the following physical violence committed against me by other men. It also had the intended consequence of silencing and intimidating women who had attended a legal public event in order to speak amongst themselves.
The ensuing riot shone a spotlight on the insidious misogyny within trans activism in New Zealand. Violence is an extreme reaction to an intent to say that we know what a woman is.
While no sentence can undo the harm done, it is my hope that this outcome brings some measure of accountability for the offender.
Moving forward, I invite Shaneel Lal to meet with me and explain his reasoning and justification for coordinating and inciting a riot which led to me being violently assaulted. Lal clearly believes my political stance is worthy of aggressive silencing tactics and I offer an opportunity to discuss that perspective. With words, not fists, thanks.
Thank you to the Court and Police Prosecution for their attention in this matter.
Sincerely,
Tania Sturt
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