Swiss man pleads guilty to assaulting woman at anti-war protest in Ottawa
David Henschel was released and returned to Switzerland, where he resides, the day after his arrest. He appeared in court virtually Thursday morning from Indonesia.
According to court documents, he is an employee of Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Schweiz AG (RWMSchweiz AG), an ammunition manufacturer.
An agreed statement of facts filed with the court and read by the Crown Thursday morning details Henschel's actions on the day of the incident. A video of the interaction that was shared on social media was also entered as evidence Thursday morning.
While leaving the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn on May 29, 2024, Henschel was walking with a woman to attend the CANSEC conference at the nearby EY Centre when he passed a protester and said "Shalom," a common Hebrew salutation meaning "peace."
The protester told Henschel, "Free, free, free Palestine!" and asked to be punched, according to the agreed statement of facts.
As Henschel continued walking toward the conference centre, he told protesters he was "racist and proud."
A 21-year-old woman wearing a hijab approached Henschel, but according to court records she did not at any point come into contact with him. Henschel then swung his arm and intentionally struck the woman in the face with a closed fist.
Henschel then pushed another protester before a small skirmish ensued and he was arrested by police.
After his arrest, Henschel admitted to striking the woman and told officers, "I am sorry about any inconvenience," and, "I do apologize for any problems caused or anything like that."
Henschel paid a $5,000 cash deposit following his arrest. He is expected to be sentenced following submissions on Nov. 24.
It's expected Crown prosecutors will read statements from the victim and other community members at that time.
Henschel's defence lawyer, James Foord, said he's limited in what he can say about the case, but noted this is "a very difficult situation for everyone involved," heightened by global events.
He said his client is a good person and that his submissions will provide more insight into Henschel's character.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
East Kootenay ranchers push for access to unused Crown land
Cattle ranchers in B.C.'s Kootenay region are upset about land tenures sitting empty. They'd like to lease the large tracts of Crown land - to graze their cattle. But as the CBC's Corey Bullock reports, the government has been slowly taking parcels offline since the late 1960's.
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
CTV National News: Federal government faces lawsuit over limits on foreign workers
CTV National News: Federal government faces lawsuit over limits on foreign workers Quebec businesses sue Ottawa over foreign worker cap, warning of serious consequences if the policy continues. CTV's Stéphane Giroux reports.
CBC
4 hours ago
- CBC
Loved ones repeat calls for province to not forget Tanya Nepinak as Brady Landfill search approaches
New Crews searched for remains of 31-year-old in 2012 but came up empty-handed. Her aunt wants them to try again The aunt of a woman missing for over a decade stood at the steps of the Manitoba Legislature on Saturday echoing her calls on the province to include Tanya Nepinak, 31, in a targeted search of Winnipeg's Brady Landfill. Sue Caribou held up an optimistic letter she wrote to her missing niece after a meeting with Premier Wab Kinew this spring, while others held signs at the legislative building that read: "Search for Tanya Nepinak." "When they did mention they were going to search the Brady Landfill, again, they didn't mention my niece," Nepinak said through tears. "Why do they keep throwing her under the rug? Doesn't she matter?" The NDP government announced this week the search of Prairie Green Landfill north of the city officially ended July 9, months after the partial remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran — both from Long Plain First Nation — were discovered there in February. The women were among four First Nations women killed by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022. He was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder in their deaths last year. Rebecca Contois and Ashlee Shingoose were the other two victims. Contois' partial remains were discovered first in a garbage bin near Skibicki's apartment in Winnipeg's North Kildonan neighbourhood. More were uncovered at Brady Landfill in June 2022. That's also where some of Shingoose's remains are believed to be, and that's where searchers are expected to continue looking soon. Brady Landfill is also where investigators believe Nepinak's remains were taken after she went missing. Nepinak, originally from Pine Creek First Nation, has been missing more than 13 years. She was last seen leaving her home on Sherbrook Street in Winnipeg in September 2011. Shawn Lamb was charged with second-degree murder in her death in 2012, though those charges were later stayed. Lamb was then convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith. Nepinak's remains were believed to be in Brady Landfill at the time. There was a brief search that wrapped in six days, without success, in 2012. Caribou has persisted in her quest to pressure successive government leadership to resume the search for Nepinak's remains. In April, Caribou led a march that wound through the legislature ahead of a meeting she had with Kinew. At the time, she felt a renewed sense of confidence. "Good things happen when you keep moving forward in a good way. Finally got to chat with the premier," reads a line from a letter Caribou wrote to Nepinak following that meeting. "I was so grateful." Image | Sue Caribou holds up note she wrote to her missing niece Tanya Caribou Caption: Sue Caribou holds up note she wrote to her missing niece Tanya Nepinak in April 2025. The 31-year-old mother has been missing for a decade, and her family questions whether her remains are in Winnipeg's Brady Landfill. (Travis Golby/CBC) Open Image in New Tab But that feeling was short-lived. Nepinak said Saturday that meetings she expected to have with the premier or staff were cancelled or rescheduled several times in the ensuing months, with one explanation being due to wildfire season. Manitoba is in the grips of its worst wildfires in 30 years, which have displaced thousands of evacuees, most of them residents of northern First Nation communities. Many have been put in shelters and hotels in Winnipeg and elsewhere in the south. Nepinak said she understands how pressing the wildfire situation is for the province to attend to, but she feels announcements about the forthcoming search of Brady Landfill are failing to mention her niece, and she feels ignored. She also feels, with thousands of evacuees stuck in Winnipeg currently, that the Manitoba government has an opportunity before it. "This is a perfect time for our people to help each other," said Caribou, adding the province should pay evacuees to search the landfill for her niece. "Let the evacuees make some money while they're here and not fall into all kinds of trouble. We can all make history and we can all help each other." She wants to move forward but is getting frustrated and angered "when they mention Brady Landfill and mention Ashlee [Shingoose] but not Tanya." "That just breaks my heart," she said. "Let's help one another." Jennifer Rocchio, a relative of Tanya's, said she made Nepinak's father a promise on his deathbed that she would keep showing up for his daughter. "There needs to be some accountability to the First Nations community," she said. "We have to hold them accountable."
