Kitchener correctional officer charged with sexual assault

KITCHENER — An investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving an inmate and a correctional officer at Grand Valley Institution for Women has led to an arrest.

On May 20, Waterloo Regional Police was contacted by the prison regarding an allegation of “a historical sexual assault involving an inmate and a correctional officer,” said police, noting the special victim’s unit led the investigation.

Police say the alleged sexual assault occurred in 2016 on a date between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31.

On July 1, a 56-year-old male correctional officer was arrested and charged with sexual assault. He will make his first court appearance in August. The correctional officer has not been in the workplace since 2017, said Correctional Service Canada (CSC) spokesperson

Kyle Lawlor. The CSC said it will continue to work with police during the investigation.

“CSC employees are expected to carry out their duties with professionalism and consistently with our policies and mission — and of course, the law,” said Lawlor. “Offenders have a number of avenues to report inappropriate behaviours from staff, whether they are a victim or a witness. We do not tolerate any breach of our policies and all allegations are thoroughly investigated regardless of the source.”

The Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, which advocates for women in the justice system, said it learned of the charge on Tuesday. “For years, CAEFS has been calling attention to how the power structures inherent to the prisons make those held inside incredibly vulnerable to abuse by CSC employees,” Emilie Coyle, the association’s executive director, said in a news release. “This is particularly concerning for incarcerated women as most of them have experienced abuse prior to their prison sentence, including sexual abuse, and have extensive histories of trauma which is further perpetuated through their experience of incarceration.”

The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers said it is not commenting on the matter.