Malarek ambushed Stevens as she exited a grocery store in Joggins. With the camera following closely behind him, Malarek asked Stevens if he could talk to her about her testimony in Young’s trial. Stevens, visibly distraught and caught off guard, ran towards a car, yelling “get the fuck out of here!” Sobbing, she rushed into a vehicle while covering her face with her purse, hiding from the camera.
Here is a raw-footage clip of the jump interview:
In the aftermath of the jump, Kaufman and Malarek went to a coffee shop to discuss what had just transpired. They were shocked and troubled by Stevens’ reaction to the jump interview. [1] Kaufman recalls realizing that while they had known about Stevens’s role in the trial, they really didn’t know much about who she was:
Although a researcher had spoken to her earlier in the reporting process [2], Malarek and Kaufman didn’t know what state of mind she would be in and what kind of life she was living now. She had requested witness protection in the aftermath of Young’s trial, and although her application was denied, the Crown had helped to relocate her from Toronto to Joggins [2]. Kaufman and Malarek thought about what role Stevens played in Young’s conviction and whether it was necessary to include footage of her in their investigation. They knew where she lived in the town, but decided it wasn’t worth pursuing her further. [3]
The team returned to Toronto and brought the footage to the fifth estate’s executive producer, David Studer.
Next: Decision Point: Should the fifth estate use the footage?
Works Cited
[1] David Kaufman, interview by Simon Bredin and Sam Colbert, December 12 2014. Unpublished.
[2] Victor Malarek, David Kaufman, et al. “A Failure in System” The Fifth Estate. Aired by CBC October 18, 1994. 39 min.
[3] David Kaufman, interview by Simon Bredin and Sam Colbert, December 12 2014. Unpublished.