Supreme Court

Summary: Accused was being tried on twelve charges involving sexual offences against minors to which not guilty pleas had been entered and findings of fact were made regarding 9 counts to which the Accused had pleaded guilty - Accused had been the senior boys' supervisor at the Grollier Hall student hostel in Inuvik between 1967 and 1979- Charges related to several sexual incidents involving young boys at the Hostel who were under the Accused's care. Court weighed the credibility of the complainants against that of the Accused in considering each charge and entered convictions on fourteen of the 21 counts - Court recognized that there findings would disappoint some and please others but emphasized that the trial was intended to deal with specific facts on specific criminal allegations, not to provide a broad-ranging inquiry into whatever abuses may have occurred in the residential school system.
Decision: Court dismissed seven of the twelve counts and convictions were entered on 14 counts: 9 of gross indecency, 3 of indecent assault, 1 of attempted indecent assault, and 1 of attempted buggery.
Subjects: Criminal law - Sexual offences