Nova Scotia RCMP are looking for survivors and witnesses to come forward to help with an investigation into nearly three decades of alleged sexual abuse at a youth detention centre in Nova Scotia, which could involve more than 200 survivors.
In a news conference Wednesday, police said Operation Headwind is looking into the allegations of sexual assault at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre in Waterville, N.S., between 1988 and 2017.
“Investigators believe that there are people in the community who have information that will aid in the investigation, and they believe there are survivors who have not yet had the opportunity to be heard,” said Insp. Don Moser, assistant support services officer for the Nova Scotia RCMP.
Police have launched a confidential hotline for anyone with information. People can call the hotline at 902-720-5313 or toll-free at 1-833-314-3475. The hotline will be monitored from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, though a confidential voicemail is available after hours.
Investigators can also be contacted by email at headwind@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
Const. Shannon Herbert, an investigator with Operation Headwind, said police are using a trauma-informed approach. Any information received “will be treated with the utmost care and respect” and will only be accessed by officers assigned to Operation Headwind, she said.
“We want to provide an opportunity for all survivors to be heard,” she said, adding that the “majority” of survivors were men who would have been between the ages of 12 and 18 at the time of the incidents.
Herbert said the investigation started in 2019. She said the investigation is complex due to a number of factors, including the time frame of the alleged offences, documents that require analysis, and the number of survivors and witnesses involved.
She said the investigation has been largely “statement-driven,” meaning much of the evidence is provided by survivors and witnesses. She said so far, police have heard statements from 70 survivors, “and at this time, we believe there may be more than 200.”
Lead investigator Sgt. Brian Fitzpatrick said this is the biggest investigation he’s been involved with in his 19 years of service.
“It’s the sheer size, the amount of information that we need to process and disclose eventually, and the amount of survivors and witnesses that we have to deploy our members to places all over Canada to complete these interviews,” he said.
“So, I would say that just the sheer size of it is the challenge.”
Class-action lawsuit
Investigators refused to provide any details about the alleged assailant or assailants, but a class-action lawsuit alleges the assaults were perpetrated by a swim instructor employed at the facility.
Mike Dull, a litigation lawyer with Valent Legal, is heading up the lawsuit against the Attorney General in relation to the alleged sexual abuse. On Tuesday, he told Global News that “close to 200” men have approached his law firm and have “alleged some degree of sexual misconduct at the facility.”
The lawsuit’s statement of claim, which has not been proven in court, said the youths at Waterville have suffered harm ranging from inappropriate touching to sexual assault. It alleged the defendant knew or ought to have known about the abuse and failed to take steps to address it.
On Wednesday, Dull said the RCMP announcement was a “big day” for his clients.
“I’ve spoken with about a dozen men who have allegedly been victimized by this former staff member of the youth centre, and they’re just over the moon with this announcement,” he said.
“It validates what they know to be true – that for decades, someone was allegedly … taking advantage of their position of power and sexually exploiting vulnerable youths.”
Dull said it has been “really difficult” for this group of survivors to come forward, but he hopes the RCMP investigation will give others the courage to speak out.
In a statement, Department of Justice spokesperson Deborah Bayer said the allegations are concerning, “and we are taking this very seriously.”
“The safety and security of those in our custody remains a priority,” the statement said.
“The department reported the allegations to the RCMP when we became aware of them, and we will continue to cooperate with the RCMP on this investigation.”
Bayer said the individual referenced in the lawsuit is no longer employed with the province.
“As that matter is before the court, we are not able to provide further comment at this time,” she said.
— with files from Rebecca Lau and The Canadian Press