Probation for Abuse of Old Order Mennonite Girls

By Ian Hitchen
Brandon Sun
September 13, 2014

http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/Probation-for-Old-Order-Mennonite-abuser-274974491.html?thx=y

An Old Order Mennonite woman who pleaded guilty to shocking two girls with a cattle prod, and to strapping one of them, has been sentenced to probation for the abuse.

The Crown says her crimes were just a small part of a much larger investigation that revealed allegations of widespread child abuse at the community and led to charges against more than a dozen adults.

The investigation led Child and Family Services to apprehend all of the community’s children in February and June of last year.

"What these children experienced from (the woman) is a tiny fraction of what, overall, went on in this community," Crown attorney Nicole Roch told Judge Donovan Dvorak in Brandon provincial court on Friday.

The woman and her southern Manitoba horse-and-buggy community can’t be identified, as other accused still face charges and publication bans protect the identity of victims and witnesses.

RCMP began an investigation into allegations of child abuse at the Manitoba community in 2012.

Fifteen community adults were charged with such offences as assault and assault with a weapon allegedly committed between July 2011 and January 2013.

Children were allegedly assaulted with such objects as a leather strap, cattle prods, a whip and a board.

Community members said the charges related to "extreme discipline," while the Crown alleged that the physical abuse was committed in an attempt to elicit false allegations from children that they’d engaged in sexual activity with their parents and siblings.

Charges were later stayed against 10 accused. The charges were dropped for eight of those — described by the Crown to be less blameworthy — after they signed one-year peace bonds with such conditions as continued counseling with CFS.

As such, they haven't admitted to any wrongdoing and are deemed innocent of the allegations.

It was accused who weren’t alleged to have used a cattle prod on children who were eligible to have their charges diverted from court in that manner, Roch said.

Four men remain charged in connection with the abuse but trial dates have not yet been set.

The 57-year-old woman sentenced on Friday — the first person to be sentenced in connection with the abuse — had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assault with a weapon against two girls. The offences were committed in August 2012 and January 2013.

Specifically, she admitted to strapping a 10- to 11-year-old girl a number of times, and to using the cattle prod on her more than once as she sat at the kitchen table. She also admitted to using the cattle prod on the younger girl once.

Dvorak agreed to the plea bargain struck between Roch and defence lawyer Michelle Bright, and gave the woman a three-year suspended sentence with probation for the abuse she committed as "discipline."

"Communities can’t establish pockets of rules that allow or encourage behaviour that is criminal," Dvorak said.

The woman had shocked one girl for soiling her clothes. The cattle prod left purple dots on the girl’s body.

Her second young victim said she was "counseled" daily by the woman and her husband, a man who still faces charges in connection with the abuse allegations and is presumed innocent.

The girl’s anxiety over the counseling led to difficulties eating and she was shocked with the cattle prod in response. The woman pleaded guilty to shocking that girl once.

The girls described the cattle prod as "excruciating," Roch said.

One of the girls would wet herself at the sight of it.

Despite that, Roch said people close to the woman believe that her actions were the result of emotional abuse by her husband and she wouldn’t have taken part in abusing the girls if she wasn’t married to him.

Those who know her described her as being typically tender-hearted toward children, Roch said, especially young children and babies.

She was gentler with the children when her husband was away. The girls she shocked remain supportive of her, Roch said.

Court heard that the woman will move to a Southern Ontario Old Order Mennonite community to live with her brother while on probation. She’s banned from coming to Manitoba without prior permission, at least for now.

However, she intends to visit family in Manitoba, from time to time, and court heard that members of the Manitoba community have expressed hope that one day she’ll return to live there.

During her sentence, the woman also can’t have contact with children under the age of 14 years without adult supervision.

Her sentencing comes after community members have taken broad steps to prevent future abuse.

An anonymous source has reported that justice authorities are impressed with the progress in openness and cooperation they’ve received from the Manitoba community since the abuse allegations were revealed.

The community’s minister says adults have committed to not using weapons or objects for physical discipline, and to refraining from excessive spanking.

"We do regret that there were things that happened that should not have happened and it’s humiliating to us… We are on the path to restoration," the minister said following court.

All but eight of the 42 children who were apprehended have now returned to their homes. A new school in the community, built as a symbol of a fresh start, is now open with 15 students attending classes and the minister said the children seem happy.

The community has worked with Child and Family Services and adults have taken parenting courses and agreed to abide by CFS conditions that limit the use of physical discipline.

Community members who once described the assaults as "extreme discipline" now call it "abuse."

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com