Assault charge dropped after Mountie completes mediation

A Meadow Lake RCMP officer has had his off-duty assault charge withdrawn after going through mediation.

Const. Khen Wilkins was charged in August 2016 in connection to an altercation at a private gathering in Meadow Lake on Dec. 14, 2015. When Wilkins was charged, he had already returned to regular duty following a code of conduct investigation, according to an RCMP news release.

Wilkins was on administrative duty throughout the investigation.

Both Meadow Lake provincial court and the Regina Crown prosecutors’ office confirmed Wilkins’ assault charge was withdrawn on June 26.

For a case to go to mediation, the accused must accept some level of

responsibility in the matter, according to Tim Nolin, executive director of Saskatoon Community Mediation Services.

He said Crown prosecutors look at the particulars of a case and decide if it meets the criteria necessary for mediation.

The out-of-court process looks at appropriate resolutions, often agreed upon by the victim and accused.

They can include financial compensation, an apology letter or community service.

The mediation resolutions in specific cases are kept confidential “because it encourages the participation of all the parties,” Nolin said.

Once mediation is successfully completed, charges are withdrawn and the accused does not have a criminal record.

After Wilkins was charged, the interim detachment co-ordinator for Meadow Lake RCMP, Cpl. Ryan How, told paNOW that the charge does not reflect Wilkins’s efforts as a police officer.