By now we’re all familiar with the Amy Hamm story but not everyone really knows Amy. We can imagine the impact JY’s blatant lies have had on her, but we need to read this in her own words to understand the impact that JY has on people. I’ve had the chance to chat with Amy and get to know her a bit. She’s told me how this whole debacle has affected her. I can’t imagine being in her shoes, but I admire her strength and courage.
JY saw an opportunity in Amy to make a buck, or gain some attention, and had zero regard for how these false accusations would impact Hamm. Even worse, when people make false accusations like this it has a negative impact on people that come forward with real claims.
Everyone knows JY was not, and never has been sexually assaulted. Even JY knows this. JY simply fantasizes about it, seeing it as a pathway to profit.
The following is her unedited statement, as provided to police, published here with her consent.
Amy Hamm’s Jessica Yaniv Statement
On January 13 of this year I agreed to report on the court appearance of Jessica Yaniv for weapons charges via The Post Millennial. This was a last-minute arrangement; they didn’t have a reporter, I had never worked for them before, and I only agreed to go when I found childcare a couple of hours before Yaniv was set to appear in court.
At the Surrey Provincial Courthouse, Yaniv’s appearance was moved to different rooms and delayed several times. Yaniv’s mother Miriam was also present. They had both displayed aggressive behaviour – shouting and posturing — towards the two reporters and one member of the public who were obviously there for Yaniv’s appearance.
During a court recess, I was seated outside the courtroom with another reporter and a man named Chris. I was idly chatting with Chris. I then said I needed to use the bathroom and asked if he had seen either of the Yanivs go into the women’s washroom down the hallway. I told him that I did not want to encounter either of them inside the washroom. He told me he had not seen them go in there, and that it should be safe for me to go ahead.
I went down the hall, scanning the courthouse for Jessica or Miriam, wanting to ensure I avoided them. I entered the women’s washroom, took a few steps inside, where there is a small vestibule that opens into the wider washroom. As soon as I reached the end of the vestibule, I saw Jessica Yaniv standing at the sinks. I immediately felt fearful, as though my fight-or-flight system was activated. I retreated at once.
I had previously seen a video of Yaniv assaulting a reporter by repeatedly hitting him over the head with a cane. I saw another video of Yaniv inside a women’s washroom, filming themselves spraying pepper spray at the mirror and making some sort of comment about “don’t fuck with me”. Yaniv is nearly a foot taller than me and probably weighs twice as much as I do, if not more. Yaniv was appearing in court on prohibited weapons charges. I fear for my safety being in an enclosed space with this person.
My hands were shaking when I left the washroom and I returned to the alcove where Chris was seated. I told him that Jessica was inside the bathroom after all and that I got out as fast as I could. He apologized for telling me he thought it was safe to enter. I had been DMing (online messaging) with my editor at The Post Millennial, and I told him what happened. I was also DMing with two friends and told them as well. The other reporter sitting with us told me that there was another washroom two floors down. Once I felt steady, I headed downstairs and used that bathroom. I returned to the bench and continued to chat with both Chris, my editor, and my friends. We were waiting for court to be called into session.
A few minutes later, while still seated on the bench, I was approached by four courthouse sheriffs. One of them said that I had been accused of taking photographs of Jessica inside the women’s washroom, and he asked me if I knew “what a serious allegation” it was. Jessica Yaniv was standing behind and a bit to the side of the sheriffs, shouting aggressively at me that they will charge me with voyeurism and have me arrested.
I was completely shocked and horrified. I told the sheriff that was horrific and absolutely untrue. I opened the camera roll on my phone and asked him to look at my photos, which he did. I wanted to make it clear that this was a complete fabrication and I had nothing to hide. The sheriffs left after this, as did Yaniv.
I again messaged my editor and let him know what had just happened. Court commenced shortly after that. The court appearance was uneventful. When it was over, I asked Chris, the member of the public, if he would walk me to my vehicle across the street. I said I was afraid of going by myself because I didn’t want to encounter Jessica or Miriam Yaniv. Chris agreed and walked me out of the building. I did not see the Yanivs again that day.
Two days later, Jessica Yaniv posted this on twitter:
One day later, Yaniv posted this:
I had maintained contact with Chris after the day at the Surrey Courthouse. He went to the Surrey RCMP in person and was able to confirm that there was an official police complaint made against me. He gave me the file number and the name and phone number of the constable on the file.
In the days and weeks following this, I called the Surrey RCMP multiple times. I left at least two voicemails with the constable on the file, Bernard LaPointe. Chris told me he was also trying to reach the constable and left several voicemails. He said he went to the station in person at least twice. He tells me has never been able to speak directly to the constable or provide a witness statement.
I, too, was unable to reach the constable. My lawyer, Carey Linde, has left more than one voicemail and also has never been contacted.
I also made phone calls to the local police in my city to inquire about victim services, or how to obtain a protection order, or how to file a complaint about someone having made false accusations about me to the police. My local police told me that I needed to deal with the Surrey RCMP. The person on the phone, at the non-emergency line, said they didn’t think I was being harassed and couldn’t help me with anything.
I did manage to speak to someone at Surrey RCMP who said they would have an officer come to me and listen to my concerns, but when I gave my address (in another city), he told me he couldn’t send anyone and that I would have to call my local police instead.
I felt discouraged and gave up. In the days and weeks that passed, I was worried about what was happening and tried to tell myself that Yaniv’s complaint was not being taken seriously by the police because they would recognize how absurd it was. (Or check the courthouse cameras and immediately exonerate me.)
In the meantime, I had obtained legal assistance from Carey Linde, who wanted to help me file a civil claim for defamation over Yaniv’s false allegations. We proceeded with this. Yaniv filed a response to my claim, and I received a copy on March 9th. In the response, Yaniv claimed (among many things) that the crown was proceeding with charges of sexual assault against me.
Reporter Anna Slatz contacted the Surrey Crown and confirmed this is untrue.
I left a voicemail for constable LaPointe on March 10. In the evening, he called me. One of the first things he said to me was that I am a suspect in a voyeurism investigation and need to come to the Surrey police station to provide a statement. I was tearful and distressed. I told him that he would only need to review courthouse tapes to see I was inside the bathroom for only one second, and then he would have no need to investigate anything if he saw that. I said I needed to talk to my lawyer and get back to him. He made a flippant comment to the effect of “if you come here to make a statement I won’t arrest you”. I wasn’t sure if that meant that he intends to arrest me if I don’t go and make a statement.
My lawyer then attempted to retrieve the courthouse tapes from January 13. The courthouse sheriffs advised him that they were deleted after 30 days.
I am a breastfeeding mother on maternity leave from my job as a registered nurse for one more month. I am terrified of the police separating me from my baby, who I co-sleep with every night. I haven’t been able to sleep since I received LaPointe’s phone call. I am afraid, because it seems so blatantly obvious that police should determine there is no merit to Yaniv’s bogus accusations.
Regarding Yaniv, I have been familiar with this person and following their antics online for quite some time.
Before the court date in January, I had seen Jessica Yaniv in person once before. In 2019, I attended a single day of hearings at the BC Human Rights Tribunal, where Yaniv was suing more than a dozen women who did not want to wax her male genitals. I wanted to appear on a day when one of the defendants was at the tribunal, to show my support for her. I have been vocal publicly and online about how wrong I think it is for Yaniv’s BCHRT claims to be entertained, because of how it has so negatively impacted marginalized women of colour in the community. Yaniv unsuccessfully attempted to have me removed from the tribunal that day.
I am afraid of Jessica Yaniv. I do not want to be anywhere near this person. I am horrified and disgusted by Yaniv’s false accusations.
It is reprehensible that a woman (me) is being investigated by the police for simply entering a public women’s washroom for a second of time. A washroom where a known violent, vexatious and male-bodied person was present, making me feel afraid inside a space that should be a haven for me. It is wrong. Yaniv should not be allowed to continue using the justice system and human rights tribunal to terrorize, humiliate, and punish women she does not like.
As of today, we know Crown isn’t pursuing charges against Hamm, despite Yaniv’s best efforts, but what we don’t know is why this was even considered? Why did this take so long to throw out?
I’m a firm believer in what goes around comes around. JY will get what JY has coming. Karma ALWAYS catches up. What do you think of Amy Hamm’s Jessica Yaniv Statement?
Jessica Yaniv…We have a birthday message for you: We will not stop exposing your evil behaviour.
