Amanda Lindhout’s mother stated “justice is served,” after her daughter’s kidnapper was sentenced to 15 years in jail Monday.
Lorinda Stewart, a former Red Deer resident who now lives in Canmore, posted a short statement on Facebook following the sentencing of Ali Omar Ader for kidnapping her daughter, former freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout, in Somalia a decade ago.
“15 years. Justice is served. Nothing can take away the horror and anguish I endured as a mother on the other end of the phone with this man for 460 days negotiating for the life of my daughter,” wrote Stewart.
“But I can not celebrate the suffering of any human being,” she continued. “It’s not who I am. He created this journey, and this is his path. We are moving forward on our own path of healing and growth. Enjoying life in ways we took for granted before this happened, and, in the end, realizing how fortunate we have been. Other families have not been so lucky.
“So today I celebrate life and love and the future my daughter has been blessed with.”
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Smith ruled in December Ader, a Somalian national, had been a willing participant in the 2008 hostage taking of Lindhout. The judge didn’t believe Ader’s story his participation was forced.
Ader’s 15-year jail sentence falls roughly between what Crown and defense were seeking. One of the defence team had suggested 10 to 12 years, while the Crown prosecutor had sought 15 to 18 years.
Lindhout was not available for interviews Monday. The former resident of Red Deer and Sylvan Lake, had been working as a freelance journalist in Mogadishu when she and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were taken hostage in 2008.
They spent 15 months in squalid captivity, facing many hardships, including starvation and, in Lindhout’s case, repeat sexual assaults by one of her guards (not Ader).
Both Lindhout and Stewart later wrote books about their perspective experiences. The women revealed their worst moments — including Stewart having to listening to Lindhout’s screams on the phone.
Ader, who was lured to Canada under the pretext of getting his own lucrative book publishing deal, had admitted to undercover police officers that he had received $10,000 for his role in the kidnapping. He later expressed remorse for his role in court.
