Saturday April 15, 2023
By Thia James
'We're going to do whatever we can ... to have that stay overturned,' Shukri Hashi said.
Hodan Hashi and her older sister Shukri Hashi attending an Eid celebration last year. © Photo submitted by Shukri Hashi.
Hodan Hashi’s family is deeply disappointed the Crown in Saskatchewan has
decided not to move forward with the criminal case against a 22-year-old woman who was charged with manslaughter in her death last November, her older sister Shukri Hashi says.
“We believe a crime was committed that night and whether the fight was consensual or not, it doesn’t change the fact an entire life was lost,” Shukri said in an interview on Thursday.
“This is just not the end of it for us. We’re going to do whatever we can, consult with different lawyers and see and work with, hopefully with, the prosecution and see what else we can do to have that stay overturned.”
Earlier this week, the Crown determined Hashi’s fatal injury was the result of an accident, according to a statement on behalf of Saskatchewan’s public prosecutions office on Tuesday. It entered a stay of proceedings on the manslaughter charge against Paige Theriault-Fisher, 22.
When the Crown enters a stay, the criminal court process relating to the charge stops. If the Crown does not resume proceedings within one year, the charge is essentially withdrawn.
Hodan Hashi, 23, died Nov. 5, 2022
after an altercation at the Lit nightclub, which shared the same building and ownership as the Crazy Cactus bar. Bystander video capturing part of it has been circulated online in the months since.
Hodan was one of nine siblings in a close-knit family; her parents moved to Canada from Somalia and the family lived in Saskatoon when she was younger.
She returned to Saskatoon recently to study early childhood education at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, planning to work with children who have special needs.
While in Saskatoon, she also worked as a translator assisting people who spoke her family’s first language.
Shukri said her family is not accepting condolences or apologies from Theriault-Fisher.
“We’re the ones who are dealing with the loss of our sister, while she walks away free,” Shukri said.
Theriault-Fisher addressed the tragedy publicly for the first time on Wednesday in Regina, accompanied by her lawyer, Sharon Fox. When asked if she had a message for Hashi’s family, she said “this was never meant to happen.
“If I could give everything back, I would take that day back. I really do wish Hodan was with us today and I really, I really hope they can heal and move forward.”
Theriault-Fisher is among the defendants named in an
ongoing civil lawsuit launched by Hashi’s family in February.
The Crown’s decision to stay the criminal matter has drawn denunciation on social media, where some have called it an example of racial injustice; Hodan Hashi was a Black Muslim woman and Theriault-Fisher is white.
Shukri Hashi said her family understands a lot of people are dissatisfied, across cultures, races, backgrounds and religions.
“That lets us know that a grave injustice has been done,” she added.
Her family has a strong faith they are leaning into and know they will reunite with her one day, but while separated in this life, they plan to
honour her through charity and positive acts in her name, she said.
“We believe that the good that you do for someone on their behalf while they’re not here allows them to have their position and status elevated in the afterlife, and that’s what we’re doing for her in the meantime. We’re just honouring her memory.”
— With Leader-Post files from Larissa Kurz