More than 70 people have told police that they were abused at Nova Scotia Youth Centre
The RCMP is starting a confidential hotline to help them investigate claims of sexual abuse at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre between 1988 and 2017.
Police said Wednesday that they have already taken statements from more than 70 people who say they were abused at the youth correctional facility in Waterville, N.S., but they think there could be up to 200 in total.
They are asking other survivors and anyone who knows anything about the case to come forward.
“If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted at Waterville, we want you to know that we are here to help,” Operation Headwind investigator Const. Shannon Herbert said.”Anyone who chooses to come forward will be treated with dignity and respect.”
You can call the hotline at 902-720-5313 or toll-free at 1-833-314-3475 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours, you can leave a voicemail that is private. You can also send an email to [email protected] to get in touch with an investigator.
At a news conference on Wednesday, police wouldn’t say anything about the alleged perpetrator, like if one staff member was named or several, or if residents themselves were being accused. No one has been caught yet, and no charges have been brought.
The RCMP said that even though their current investigation started in 2019, they had heard about abuse before, but their investigations at the time didn’t turn up enough evidence to charge anyone.
All 70 people who have talked to police so far have been men, but police say they are not ruling out the possibility that girls were also abused.
Class-action lawsuit ongoin
In 2019, a class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of three men who say they were sexually abused at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre when they were there between 1988, when it first opened, and 2019.
They say that a swim instructor at the facility sexually assaulted them, touched them inappropriately, and looked at them inappropriately while they were naked in changing rooms.
When the events happened, the men who are leading the class action were between 16 and 18 years old.
In its 2019 notice of defense, which was filed in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, the province says that the men’s claims are against Donald Douglas Williams, who worked at the facility run by the province from 1988 to 2017.
Anyone who lived at the facility during those years and says the swim instructor hurt them is automatically added to the lawsuit.
None of the claims has been put to the test in court.
Lawsuit allegation
The class action says that residents reported sexual abuse and other bad behavior by the swim instructor more than once, but nothing was done about it.
It also says that the province knew soon after hiring the swim instructor that he was “sexually inappropriate with male youth” but didn’t do anything about it.
The statement of claim says that the province was negligent because it was in charge of taking care of residents and did not protect their physical and emotional needs.
The lawsuit is trying to get money for emotional and mental harm, money for rehabilitation and counseling, and money for punishment.
The province says it was not careless and that residents had not reported any abuse before. In their defense statement, the three men’s participation in the aquatics program at the correctional center is also called into question.