Former prison guard goes to trial in 2020

Officer accused of assaulting a coworker

Trial dates have been set for a former Edmonton Institution correctional officer charged with sexually assaulting a colleague.

Graham Trevor Spilsbury, 50, was charged earlier this year.

He also faces a count of assault with a weapon for an alleged incident involving a rubber glove. Police said the charges relate to incidents involving a female employee that took place prior to 2017.

Spilsbury’s case was briefly in Edmonton provincial court Wednesday for scheduling. Neither he nor his lawyer was present.

Spilsbury’s trial is scheduled to run for three days beginning May 26, 2020, in Edmonton provincial court.

The charges against Spilsbury were the only set of criminal charges to be laid as a result of workplace issues at the maximum security men’s prison.

Lawsuit, investigations

The federal institution, located in northeast Edmonton, has been accused of being a toxic workplace. Four women who worked there said it was “rife with discrimination, harassment, bullying, abuse of authority and sexual assault” in a multi-million-dollar lawsuit.

An internal employee survey found numerous issues with criminal and sexual harassment, referring to a “poisoned” work environment. Seventeen respondents said they had been sexually assaulted by a coworker either at work or off-site.

Edmonton police said Wednesday that their investigation into potential criminal wrongdoing related to the prison’s workplace issues has concluded.

Edmonton Institution opened in 1978 and houses over 300 inmates.