Rallying for injured lawyer

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This article was published 08/07/2015 (3745 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The legal community and Canadians at large are banding together to support a Winnipeg lawyer injured in a targeted bomb blast, says the president of the Manitoba Bar Association.

Many well-wishes and a crowdfunding campaign have left Maria Mitousis “incredibly touched,” according to friends who organized a GoFundMe fundraiser in her name.

The 35-year-old woman, who has worked for nearly 10 years in family law, is recovering in hospital after sustaining extensive injuries to her neck and stomach. Mitousis underwent multiple surgeries and is now in stable condition.

Mitousis was alone in her office at work at the Petersen King law firm on River Avenue Friday when she was the victim of what police called a “specific attack.” She opened a suspicious package addressed to her that contained what appeared to be a small, grey voice recorder, which detonated in her hands.

A source told The Canadian Press Friday Mitousis lost a hand to the bombing blast and was at risk of losing another.

Mitousis relayed messages through a family member, who spoke to Sofia Mirza, president of the Manitoba Bar Association.

“She is just absolutely pleased and overwhelmed with how many people actually care about her condition and have expressed their support,” Mirza said Tuesday.

Mitousis wanted to publicly thank the medical team at Health Sciences Centre for taking care of her, and the Winnipeg Police Service and its related tactical teams for their quick thinking.

“Because of their intervention, they were able to prevent further catastrophes,” Mirza said. “She’s very grateful that no one else was injured.”

Two more letter bombs were discovered soon after the blast.

Guido Amsel, 49, is in custody and faces 11 charges, including two counts of attempted murder. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Thursday.

Mirza said police seized Mitousis’s cellphone and computer as part of their investigation.

Mitousis hasn’t been able to respond to loved ones’ and strangers’ get-well messages yet, but wants everyone to know she’s heard them, thanks to family members.

“In my view, the fact that she’s so concerned about the views of other people says she’s in good spirits. It says a lot about how she is as a person,” Mirza said. “I think she’s a shining example of the strength of our profession in the face of adversity.

“Despite everything that’s occurred, she still maintains a strong passion for the law. She has an interest to coming back to work as soon as she can. She wants to get back into the game.”

Since Saturday, a crowdsourcing campaign has collected nearly $45,000 for Mitousis to help pay for her expenses during what will likely be a long recovery process. The goal for donations was originally $50,000, but that number was increased to $100,000 Tuesday.

“Having now heard from Maria as to the extent of her injuries and what the road to recovery is beginning to look like, we have increased the goal of the campaign to reflect those circumstances,” organizers Kelli Potter and Laurelle Harris wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Mitousis has a sterling reputation in the local legal community. Many lawyers, from firms in Winnipeg and across Canada, have reached out to help her.

She is considered a hard worker and a compassionate person, said Jay Prober, a criminal defence lawyer with Prober Law Offices.

‘She is just absolutely pleased and overwhelmed with how many people actually care about her condition and have expressed their support’

— Manitoba Bar Association president Sofia Mirza, of injured lawyer Maria Mitousis (above)

Prober described her as a competent lawyer. “I’ve never heard anybody say anything bad about her,” Prober said.

Since the string of bomb threats, Prober’s firm has taken extra security precautions and developed a new protocol for sorting packages.

“Packages are going to be isolated, and we’re keeping a special watch out for packages that are unexpected. If lawyers are going to be expecting a package, we’re going to alert the receptionist (ahead of time),” Prober said. “It really wasn’t at the forefront of anybody’s minds — any lawyers’ minds — until now.”

Mirza said the Manitoba Bar Association was already planning a fall seminar about law-firm safety prior to the bombings. The seminar will provide a refresher for lawyers and associates, she said.

“Any lawyer that’s been practising for a few years, you’ve come across somebody that’s threatening or… intimidating,” Mirza said. “We’re negotiators; we know how to diffuse situations. That’s part of what we do as lawyers… You never know what the hot-button issue is going to be.”

Family and domestic law cases can be among the most emotionally charged, Mirza and Prober agreed, with child custody, money and possessions often at stake. Lawyers in these cases often take extra precautions when it comes to volatile clients, Mirza said.

The Free Press learned Amsel allegedly had a list of people he believed had wronged him.

Mitousis worked for Amsel’s ex-wife, Iris Amsel, during the couple’s messy divorce trial, which began in 2004 and lasted a decade, according to court documents.

Ultimately, the file came to an end last winter when both parties agree to a revised separation agreement. Amsel was ordered to pay enhanced child support of $583 monthly after financial records showed he was making $60,000 per year, while Iris was only bringing in about $7,000 annually.

 

— with files from Mike McIntyre

jessica.botelho-urbanski@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @_jessbu