1 year house arrest, community service for 66-year-old man
By Matthew Wild and John French
A former Squamish resident was sentenced at Vancouver Supreme Court Wednesday (Feb. 9) for indecently assaulting a teenager 30 years ago.
The 66-year-old, who is now living in Vancouver, was given a one-year conditional sentence and community service hours for sexual offences he committed in Squamish in the mid-1970s.
The man cannot be named due to a ban on publication imposed by the court. The ban also prevents the names of the alleged victims from becoming public but one of the alleged victims wanted the ban waived so he could be publicly identified.
Crown lawyer Kerr Clark detailed in court how the man breached his position of trust in the community.
The man pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a teenage girl on numerous occasions between July 15, 1974 and June 1, 1976. A charge of indecently assaulting a male and two counts of gross indecency were stayed.
The matter proceeded on a joint submission made by defense and prosecution lawyers. Clark outlined that the offender admitted to "sexually touching" a girl under the age of 16.
"The complainant has been considerably traumatized by these events," said Clark. "She has difficulty trusting people, especially men.
"It's taken her many years to regain her self-esteem. For quite some time in her life she was worried that people wanted something from her when they genuinely approached her and were affectionate.
"It's true there was no physical force or penetration, but this is a serious offence. The accused was in a position of trust. He was in a powerful position."
Clark asked for a one-year conditional sentence, with the first six months a period of house arrest, and 120 hours' community service.
Defense lawyer Glen Orris acknowledged his client accepted he had breached a position of trust.
He asked that the house arrest conditions allow for attendance to work, church each Sunday where he "assists with the service and cleans up afterward" and his 94-year-old mother once a month.
Orris asked for 50 hours' community service, but said his client would comply with a larger amount.
When given the opportunity to address the court, the offender made an apology to his victim and asked that she would eventually forgive him.
Judge David Tysoe imposed a one-year conditional sentence, including a six-month house arrest, to be served at home in the Lower Mainland. He will be allowed out to attend work, church and visit his mother, along with medical emergencies or when sanctioned by his supervisor. The offender is banned from contacting the complainant in any way.
This sentence was "in the low end," commented Justice Tysoe, but he felt it reflected case law.
The alleged victim who wanted his name to be made public says he was the first to bring the sexual abuse allegations to police. The abuse survivor contacted the Chief and said despite the ban on publication of his identity he wanted to share his story.
The male victim, who now lives in the Lower Mainland, alleges the offender and a good friend of the offender's violated him.
The victim didn't speak of his dark secret from his teen years until he was inspired to talk to counsellors who specialize in working with male survivors of sexual abuse.
"I was driving to work. I heard on the radio that a police officer was killed on Hwy. 99," the male victim told The Chief. "I pulled my car over and thought."
He knew only one member of the RCMP in Squamish and worried it might be his friend Const. Wael Audi. "I did find out it was Wael and I couldn't stop crying," he said. "I couldn't get rid of the pain and I couldn't figure out why. I started looking for help. I called a women's crisis line and they put me in touch with Male Survivors. In talking to them about my situation. I discovered that I lost a mentor. He never treated me the way [my abuser did]. They encouraged me to tell my story to the police."
The survivor is satisfied and feels vindicated with the sentence given to his alleged abuser.
The experience he went through is inspiring him to set up a male abuse victim group in Squamish.
"There's families in Squamish that I could tell you about that you wouldn't believe it," he said of people he knows were molested in this community. "There's some really, really tough guys that have problems and it is their kids that are on the streets today causing problems.
"What I'd like to do is set up where guys can come and talk and feel free and safe to get through it. I'm taking a peer-counseling course because I really want to get involved. It is worth it because it will help me and I can help someone else."
