Trio sue over alleged assault by jail guard

OTTAWA — Three women who say they were sexually assaulted by a prison guard have launched a lawsuit against the federal correctional service.

The alleged assaults are said to have happened at the Nova Institution for Women, a multi-level facility in Truro, N.S. — one of six federal corrections facilities for women across Canada.

Halifax lawyer Mike Dull said Wednesday that two of the three women are still serving time, adding that police were called in within the past two months and a criminal investigation is underway.

Dull said two of the women filed complaints with the prison more recently, triggering an internal investigation and the guard’s resignation.

Truro Police Chief David MacNeil confirmed Wednesday that his service launched a sexual assault investigation at the Nova Institution on March 28. “As this is an open and active investigation, we can’t comment any further at this time,” he said=.

In response to the lawsuit, the director of advocacy and legal issues for the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies, Savannah Gentile, called the women “incredibly brave” for coming forward, adding the “fear of reprisal” is a common and founded fear in prison.

“For decades advocates have fought to keep male guards out of women’s prisons, and in the very least off the front lines, knowing the increased risk it poses to women prisoners,” she said.

“These women are carrying the bulk of the load in order to call us to action, and as a country, we have to step up.”

Emma Halpern, the executive director of the organization for mainland Nova Scotia, said the women “suffered egregious harm at the hands of a predator who operated without reprisal, for many years, within one of our government institutions.”