RCMP make changes following scathing report on handling of sexual assault investigation

April 5, 2024 Canuck

A rural Alberta family has received a formal apology from the RCMP over allegations, since validated, they filed with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission about the mishandling of their teenage daughter’s sexual assault case.

The investigation dates back to 2018, when the girl went to a party. Global News is not identifying her because she was a minor at the time.

“I was hanging out with my friends, I was by the fire, was having a drink, everything was fun,” she said.

Then, everything went black — the 15-year-old lost her memory. The next morning she woke up and said she knew something was wrong.

“I’m in pain. It hurts to move, it hurts to walk, it hurts to do anything. And I don’t know what happened.”

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Her friends filled in the void for her, telling her she’d been sexually assaulted.

“It just changes you completely as a person. I feel like I lost my spark. I lost part of me, in a way,” she explained.

“Growing up, you always get told: ‘No means no,’” she recalled. “Then I realized what had happened and what I’d been told had happened, (that it) was not OK and that it was wrong.”

She decided to tell her parents.

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“It was an extremely hard thing to hear. It broke me as a father,” her dad said.

The family called 911, where an RCMP officer directed them to the Mayerthorpe Health Centre for medical treatment.

It turns out that was bad information. Mayerthorpe didn’t have a sexual assault examination kit.

“To send her to a hospital that wasn’t prepared for it was unacceptable by the RCMP. They need to do better. They need to know where a victim can go,” the father said.

The family then drove to a hospital in Edmonton.

The girl said that was one of the hardest days of her life — repeatedly telling not only her parents and RCMP, but also multiple medical staff, what happened.

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“As someone who has just gone through an extreme trauma, you go to the place for help where you’re supposed to be able to get help, then find out you can’t receive help there, you have to turn around. So it wastes crucial minutes.”

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The family also felt the investigation by the Evansburg RCMP was botched. No charges were ever laid. The Crown had insufficient evidence to proceed.

“There was so much that was missed along the way, that was never collected,” the dad said.

“The incident happened in a vehicle. The vehicle was never looked at…. Not all the witnesses were spoken to, not all the evidence was collected.

“Very obvious things that fall under RCMP policy were thrown to the wind.”

The family filed a complaint.

Now, nearly six years later, the independent agency that reviews public complaints about the RCMP has validated the family’s allegations.

Its report highlights a slew of problems — including failing to interview the girl’s parents, the majority of other party-goers or the nurse who examined the teen.

It also says the constable, and his supervising sergeant, “demonstrated an incomplete understanding of the law of consent, which influenced their decisions and led to an incomplete investigation.”

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The commission also noted that at least 10 RCMP members of varying ranks from across the country reviewed this particular case.

It expressed concerns that “there are systemic issues in the way that the RCMP conducts and reviews sexual assault investigations. In particular, there appears to be a reluctance to concede that an investigation was lacking despite ample evidence to the contrary.”

That is why the young woman, now 21, continues to fight for justice, all these years later.

“I don’t want anyone else to have to experience the same things I did, to go through the pain and emotional trauma that I went through and continue to go through,” she said through tears.

The RCMP declined to speak with Global News.

However, in response to the report, Mike Duheme, the commissioner of the RCMP, agreed with the vast majority of the commission’s findings.

As such, the RCMP has agreed to recommendations presented by the commission to train the two officers from Evansburg on consent and how to handle investigations of sexual assault involving minors.

Additionally, every sexual assault file they’ve ever worked on will now be reviewed.

Since 2018, the RCMP has also started handing out cards that outline 24-7 medical and counselling options available for victims of sexual assault.

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Just two days ago, the family also received an official apology from the RCMP in the mail.

“I hope they realize that they didn’t do their jobs correctly. And from there on, they take things more seriously,” the young woman said.

The family also reached out to Alberta Health Services with their concerns regarding the Mayerthorpe Health Centre’s lack of critical examination kits for patients reporting sexual assault.

In response, AHS made changes and the kits are now available in Mayerthorpe, as well as some other rural health facilities.

In locations where they aren’t readily available, they’ll be brought to the site by the RCMP or the sexual assault response team.

In a statement, Kristen Anderson, an advisor with AHS issues management, said AHS launched a sexual assault response line for health-care providers in 2022.

“This service provides 24/7 real-time support by trained registered nurses with specialized training, guiding medical staff through sexual assault examinations and forensic evidence collection. This initiative ensures consistent high-quality care across all AHS facilities, empowering rural healthcare providers to deliver specialty care locally and enhancing accessibility.

“Additionally, specialized Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) are available in Edmonton, Calgary, South, and Central Zones. These teams offer guidance, emotional support, and assistance with evidence preservation and reporting.”

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Knowing that those changes are happening makes fighting worthwhile, the family said.

“The fact that anyone can go in today and get a sexual assault kit makes me feel absolutely incredible,” the young woman explained.

“I don’t believe that would have happened without my daughter coming forward and being the voice that she is,” her dad said.

She hopes sharing her story inspires others to have the strength to report — and that the response is better for future victims.

“Use your voice. If something happens to you and you know it’s wrong, stand up for yourself. Advocate for yourself. Make that change.”

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