RCMP says more than 70 teens have been sexually assaulted at NS juvenile detention center over 3 decades

The RCMP is launching a confidential hotline to assist with their investigation into allegations of sexual abuse at the Nova Scotia Youth Center between 1988 and 2017.

Police said on Wednesday they have already taken statements from more than 70 people who say they were abused at the Juvenile Detention Center in Waterville, NS, but believe there could be as many as 200 in total.

They ask other survivors, and anyone with relevant information about the case, to come forward.

“If you, or someone you know, has experienced sexual assault while you were in Waterville, we want you to know that we are here to support you,” Const said. Shannon Herbert, a researcher on Operation Headwind. “Anyone who chooses to come forward will be treated with dignity and respect.”

The hotline is available at 902-720-5313, or toll-free at 1-833-314-3475 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. A confidential voicemail is available outside office hours. Researchers can also be reached by email at headwind@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.

At a press conference on Wednesday, police declined to provide information about the alleged perpetrator, including whether a single member of staff or several were named, or whether former residents themselves faced charges. No arrests have yet been made and no charges have been filed.

RCMP said that while their current investigation began in 2019, they had previously received reports of abuse, but their investigations at the time did not yield sufficient evidence to press charges.

To date, all 70 people who have made statements to the police are men, but the police say they cannot rule out that girls have also been abused.

Class action lawsuit is still pending

In 2019, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of three men who say they were victims of sexual abuse during their time at the Nova Scotia Youth Center dating back to the opening of the juvenile detention center in 1988.

They say the abuse by a swim instructor at the facility included assault, unwanted touching and sexual assault, and inappropriately watching them undress in changing rooms.

The men leading the class action were between the ages of 16 and 18 at the time of the incidents.

The county’s defense, filed in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court in 2019, says the men’s allegations were against Donald Douglas Williams, who worked at the county-owned facility from 1988 to 2017.

The lawsuit automatically includes anyone who lived in the facility during those years and claims to have been abused by the swim instructor.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

Lawsuit allegations

The attorney leading the class action lawsuit, Mike Dull of Valent Legal, said his firm has been in contact with nearly 200 people with allegations of sexual misconduct by the swim instructor, but he expects the true number of survivors to be likely at least double that. . figure.

“From previous experience with allegations of institutional abuse, it appears that most people do not come forward,” he said. “Most people would rather not go through that trauma or retriggering process and talk to the police or lawyers.”

Dull said class action members have complicated histories with police departments, as they were once in a correctional facility, and have been in and out of jail a “shockingly large number” since their time at the Nova Scotia Youth Center.

“It was very difficult to convince these crime victims themselves to come forward to the police stations they have an innate distrust of and speak their truth to them.”

But Dull said the RCMP has instilled confidence in the first few people to come forward, and that has had a snowball effect, convincing others to share their experience with police.

“The announcement today – I’m sure because I’ve talked to a dozen men about it today – they feel like their allegations are being treated seriously and with respect and they’re being validated, and that’s absolutely huge. … It feels very good for these people who thought they would suffer in silence all their lives.”

defense of the province

The class action alleges residents made multiple independent reports of sexual abuse and misconduct by the swim instructor, but no effective action was taken.

It also states that shortly after hiring the swim instructor, the county knew he was “sexually inappropriate toward male youth,” but took no appropriate action to address the behavior.

The county was negligent in being responsible for caring for residents and failing to ensure their physical and emotional needs, the claim said.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for emotional and psychological harm, payment for rehabilitation and counseling, and punitive damages.

The province denies negligence and says residents have not previously reported abuse. The statement of defense also questions the three men’s participation in the water sports program during their stay in the penitentiary.

In an email on Wednesday, Justice Department spokesperson Deborah Bayer said the county took the allegations seriously and is cooperating with RCMP during the investigation.

“The safety and security of those in our care remains a priority,” Bayer wrote. “The person referenced in the class action lawsuit is no longer an employee of the county.”

As the matter is in court, the Justice Department cannot comment further, Bayer added.