Verdict pending in historic N.S. sexual assault case

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

A Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice is set to rule Wednesday on a historic sexual assault case from more than 40 years ago. A woman alleges she was raped by Michael Lynn Wentzell in 1982, when she was just 13.

Wentzell, 71, went on trial Tuesday in Bridgewater, N.S., with Justice Diane Rowe reserving her decision.

The woman, who is in her early 50s and is protected by a publication ban, testified that she was “quite familiar” with Wentzell during that period. She said she remembered calling him one day from school to say she wasn’t well and that he came and got her.

While she could not recall all of the details of what she said happened that day, she testified that she clearly remembers ending up on her parents’ bed and Wentzell crouched over her, sexually assaulting her.

She said he had a blank stare on his face. She said the incident left her feeling “horrible” and “disgusted.” She told court she covered her face with her left arm and then didn’t remember what happened after that.

When pressed by Wentzell’s lawyer, the woman said there were many details she couldn’t remember from that day.

The woman’s mother was the only other Crown witness. She said she didn’t learn of her daughter’s allegations against Wentzell until the fall of that year. She admitted under defence questioning that she said she hoped that Wentzell “would get a bullet between his eyes”.

Wentzell testified in his own defence. He emphatically denied the incident ever happened. He said during the period in question, he didn’t have access to a vehicle and so could not have gone to pick up the girl.

Wentzell said repeatedly that the incident did not happen. But the Crown challenged him on that point, saying when he was first interviewed by police about the allegations in 2021 he said he didn’t remember, not that it didn’t happen.

In her closing arguments, Crown prosecutor Sharon Goodwin said when someone is talking about a major life event, they say it either happened or it didn’t, not that they don’t remember.

Wentzell admitted he has a prior conviction for sexually assaulting another young girl. He also admitted he violated his parole conditions by drinking alcohol. But he said he only did that to steady his nerves after his house was shot at seven times with a pellet rifle.

When the allegations first surfaced, the garage at Wentzell’s home in Voglers Cove was tagged with graffiti, accusing him of being a “pedophile”.