Abusive Pastor Sentenced

By Carmen Weld
The Castanet
February 12, 2015

http://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/132828/Abusive-pastor-sentenced


An Armstrong father will spend 4 1/2 years behind bars after he beat his family in the name of God.

The 42-year-old man, called L.I. to protect the identity of the victims, was convicted of seven counts against his 30-year-old wife and children in 2009 and 2010. These include six counts of committing assault and one count of sexual assault.

The assaults all took place in their family home near Armstrong, between October 2009 and August 2012, when the three children were between the ages of 18 months and four years.

According to B.C. Supreme Court Justice Frank Cole's judgment, L.I., formerly a pastor doing missionary work in Africa, used faith as a defence for his actions.

Cole said when the wife would attempt to stop L.I. from hurting the children, he would shush her and say, “This is the way the Bible tells us to treat children. Otherwise, they will become liars and prostitutes.”

Cole went on to describe how L.I.'s wife would come home after working to find their children injured with bruises, welts and red marks.

“(His son) also dumped toys on the floor when he was approximately two years of age,” wrote Cole. “The offender grabbed him, pinned him down, covered his mouth and nose with his hands, and his face turned red. He could not breathe, his lips were swollen for the rest of the day.”

There were multiple times, according to the judgment, when the accused would severely abuse and injure the children. He would also assault his wife.

“With respect to the sexual assault, including many incidents of the offender wanting sex and the complainant refusing, he would lock the door and bend her over the bed, take her clothes off, and enter her from behind,” wrote Cole, who spoke of several other incidents of rape and assault.

“On another occasion, he slapped her arm, pushed her, took a butcher knife to her lips, and said, "Let's cut that off," because he complained she was talking too much. He drilled his fingers into her back on another occasion. He hit her on the head.”

In coming to a decision Justice Cole referenced a pre-sentence report conducted on L.I. and the victim impact statements given in court.

“Mr. I's main risks for violence ... would appear to be predominantly in intimate relationships and child rearing.”

According to the victim impact statement, the man's wife said the physical healing had taken place, but the lasting effect of years of abuse left her battling severe anxiety, post-trauma stress, fear of men, fear of rejection, an eating disorder and consistent neck pain from the offender striking her.

“She lives in fear that the offender 'will come after us, try to hurt us.'"

The mother says her children have frequent flashbacks about incidents and suffer from post-traumatic stress, high anxiety, nightmares, guilt and fear.

Although the man had no prior criminal record, Justice Cole felt the aggravating factors were crucial in his decision. He notes that the assaults took place in the family home where his wife and children had a right to feel safe.

“The offender was in a position of trust with respect to his children and his wife... He was controlling and manipulative,” wrote Cole. “The offender disciplined the children or, to use his words, 'corrected' them ... The offender fails to understand that violence, especially when dealing with young children, will most likely only teach them that people who love them have a right to hurt them.”

The accused used religion as defence for his actions and felt his beliefs should be protected under Canadian laws, but Justice Cole saw it differently.

“Religious freedom is protected by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but when conduct based on religious beliefs is contrary or conflicts with the Criminal Code of Canada, then the Criminal Code must prevail, otherwise we will have anarchy. Unfortunately, the offender has no insight into his cruel and selfish behaviour. The principles of denunciation and deterrence are paramount in this case.”

A DNA order was also issued as well as a firearms prohibition.

The judgment was handed down Dec. 15, but was just released online.