Justice Delayed, or Justice Replayed? One Man's Murky Path Through the Courts

There he was, Abshir Aden, once again appearing before the court, albeit virtually, from whatever detention center he calls home these days. And the news? Well, for anyone hoping for swift progress, it was much of the same: still no trial date, not yet. This particular appearance, you see, was just another step in what feels like an agonizingly slow judicial dance – a judicial pre-trial, where the lawyers and a judge quietly hash out the labyrinthine details, hoping to iron out the creases before the actual show begins.

But let's be honest, for the families involved, and indeed for a community trying to make sense of things, the waiting is probably the hardest part. Aden, now 32, is facing a first-degree murder charge, a deeply serious accusation linked to the 2021 slaying of Mahad Farah right here in Kitchener. It’s a stark, brutal reality, one that casts a long shadow.

Here’s the thing, though, and it’s a detail that adds layers to this already complex narrative: this isn't Abshir Aden's first time in the judicial spotlight. Not by a long shot. A decade ago, back in 2011, he was convicted of manslaughter. Yes, manslaughter – stemming from a shooting in Toronto that tragically ended another life. He even received a seven-year prison sentence for that, and eventually, after serving two-thirds of it, he was granted parole in 2019. You could say, for a moment, he had a chance at a different path.

Yet, life, or perhaps fate, had other plans, or so it seems. Just two years after that parole, in September 2021, Aden was back in handcuffs, charged with the first-degree murder of Mahad Farah. It’s a jarring progression, isn't it? From manslaughter to allegedly planning a murder, it certainly makes you wonder about the journey in between.

Now, his lawyer, Jennifer Trehearne, is working through the complexities, just as the Crown attorney is. They’re slated to be back for another check-in, another little bureaucratic shuffle, on May 16th. And so, the clock keeps ticking, slowly, relentlessly. For the victim’s family, for the accused, and for the system itself, the wait for a resolution, for justice to finally take its course, continues. It's a testament, perhaps, to the sheer methodical nature of law, but also, one might argue, to the profound emotional toll such delays inevitably inflict.