OTTAWA โ Iain Aspenlieder, 46, a former City of Ottawa lawyer, pleaded guilty July 25 to mischief for defacing Canadaโs National Holocaust Monument on June 9, the Crown confirmed. He admitted to using red paint to scrawl the words โFEED MEโ across the memorialโs face.
Aspenlieder was originally charged with mischief to a war memorial, mischief exceeding $5,000, and harassment by threatening conduct. His lawyer, Michael Spratt, said the Crown has agreed to drop the additional counts at the sentencing stage, now set for the fall.
Surveillance footage showed Aspenlieder arriving by bicycle just before 3 a.m., carrying paint cans and red bags. Police found paint-stained clothing on him at arrest and collected the cans as evidence. In a statement, Spratt said Aspenlieder โaccepts responsibility for his actionsโ and that his motivation โwas driven by compassion and moral urgency, not hatred.โ
The defacement drew swift condemnation. Prime Minister Mark Carney said he was โappalledโ by the attack on a site dedicated to remembering six million Jewish victims, calling it โa space for mourning and reflection.โ Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe noted that the accused, then a city employee on leave, no longer works for the municipality.
Jewish and Zionist organizations praised the guilty plea but urged a firm sentence. A spokesperson for the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said, โThreats and vandalism against Jewish memorials erode community safety and must be met with meaningful accountability.โ
This article is based on verified information from Coast Reporter and CTV News.