Charges have been recommended against a high-profile driving school instructor on Vancouver Island, according to documents shared with Global News by an alleged victim.
An investigation was launched against Steve Wallace, the owner of Wallace Driving School, after several women came forward via social media to describe sexual harassment and assaults during driving lessons, according to the documents.
During her first lesson with Wallace, Oye says she immediately knew something wasn’t right and she figured she wasn’t alone.
She launched an Instagram page to allow people with similar allegations to share their stories.
With roughly 15 personal statements posted and more direct messages, Oye said the response was overwhelming.
“I just realized it was a lot more widespread than I thought it was,” she said.
Documents that Oye says were sent to her by a Victoria police constable show that police are recommending three charges of sexual assault against Wallace for incidents alleged to have happened between April 2011 and August of this year.
Global News has not verified the allegations.
Global News reached out to Wallace for comment but has yet to receive a response.
On Monday, the Insurance Corp. of B.C. announced it launched an investigation into the allegations.
In a statement, the Crown-run auto insurer said:
“As a result of the findings of ICBC’s investigation, we have made the decision to permanently cancel Mr. Wallace’s driver instructor licence, subject to a window of 30 business days for Mr. Wallace to appeal.”
It also said that Wallace has agreed to several terms, including not attending any premises where driving students may be present.
“He does know where we live. That’s where he picked us up from,” Oye said.
Victoria police could not confirm any of the information but said it believes all victims of sexualized violence.
According to documents, there was a tentative court date set for Wallace on Nov. 25. That all hinges on Crown approving the charges.
“It’s up to Crown to review the evidence that police has obtained in order to recommend those charges and decide whether or not there’s a substantial likelihood of conviction,” lawyer Sarah Leamon said.
Oye says she is grateful that police are taking the matter seriously. She expects it will only help others feel more comfortable coming forward in the future.
“Every single individual person that has experienced this should have the same respect that this case has had,” she said.