Former B.C. mayor pleads guilty to 4 sex crimes
against youth
Luke Strimbold had faced 29 charges involving 7 alleged victims
Betsy Trumpener · CBC News
A former B.C. mayor has pleaded guilty to four sex offences against youth in Burns Lake.
Luke Strimbold had been charged with 29 offences over a two year period against seven victims who were all under 16 years old.
The charges against Strimbold included sexual assault, sexual touching and sexual interference. Some of the sex crimes occurred while Strimbold was mayor of the village of Burns Lake and in a position of trust.
Strimbold was the youngest mayor in B.C. when he was elected at age 21, and he was a member of the B.C. Liberal party's executive board until the day he was arrested in 2018.
'Very remorseful'
Since then, Strimbold has been out on bail and was scheduled to go on trial in B.C. Supreme Court this summer. But at a court appearance in April, Strimbold's lawyer indicated his client intended to plead guilty.
"I can tell you he's very remorseful and wants to start the healing process as soon as possible," his lawyer, Stan Tessmer, told CBC News.
Strimbold was born and raised in Burns Lake, a village of about 2,000 people, three hours west of Prince George.
Luke Strimbold stands with former B.C. premier Christy Clark at a 2013 ceremony where he was awarded a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, which honours "significant contributions and achievements by Canadians." (Province of B.C./Flickr)
In 2011, at the age of 21, Strimbold was elected mayor, becoming the youngest person in B.C. history — and the second youngest in Canada — to hold that office.
Strimbold won many accolades before charges laid
B.C. Business Magazine named him to its "top 30 under 30" list in 2014, adding the young mayor to "an exceptional inaugural list of young men and women ... over-achievers."
Strimbold also headed the local chamber of commerce, worked at a rediscovery camp for Indigenous youth, and was awarded a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, an honour for "significant contributions and achievements by Canadians."
And he was no stranger in the corridors of power. Strimbold served on a number of committees with the B.C. Liberal party's executive board.
Until news of the charges were made public, Strimbold was listed on the B.C. Liberal website as the membership chair and a member of the rules leadership committee during the party's race to replace Christy Clark.
Pedophiles are often very popular and gregarious people.
Track club coach, chair banned for life by Athletics Canada
CBC News
Athletics Canada's commissioner has banned for life Ottawa Lions track and field club coach Andy McInnis and recently fired chair Ken Porter after numerous complaints of sexual misconduct, and has issued a stern reprimand against the club's board of directors for failing to take appropriate action.
As well, McInnis is expelled from the Athletics Canada Hall of Fame, and Porter is ordered to partially reimburse Athletics Canada $5,000 for allegedly delaying an investigation by refusing to co-operate.
None of the allegations against either man has been proven in court, and CBC News is not aware of any criminal charges against them.
The lifetime bans from Athletics Canada, its branches and individual member clubs come after an independent investigation led by former Ontario Ombudsman André Marin, which began Jan. 30 and was dated May 5, resulting in a report titled In Plain View: The Tolerance of Sexual Misconduct at the Ottawa Lions Club.
Longtime friends
The men — who have been friends for more than 40 years, according to Marin and Athletics Canada's commissioner, Frank Fowlie — were suspended by Athletics Canada in late March.
At the time, the organization said McInnis had been on paid leave since September 2018 due to allegations of sexual harassment, and was not allowed to coach or have contact with any athletes or members of the club. (The organization also revealed that McInnis had been accused of misconduct in 2016 and was reprimanded.)
Despite the imposed restrictions on his duties, Athletics Canada alleged McInnis took part in training with the club in California during the last week of December 2018 and first week of January 2019.
Porter, meanwhile, was initially suspended for not taking "adequate remedial action" against his friend when he had knowledge that McInnis would be coaching club athletes.
More alleged victims come forward
Following the suspensions, a total of nine men have come forward to allege that Porter sexually interfered with them in the 1970s, according to a report by Fowlie, citing information gathered by Marin.
Some of the men allege they were underage at the time. They told Marin they were given massages by Porter that led to sexual assaults.
Fowlie also found that McInnis "sexually harassed, if not sexually assaulted, a female athlete by touching her near her vagina during a massage," which Fowlie alleged was purposefully done away from the view of others.
McInnis also "demonstrated a history of sexually harassing female athletes at the Lions Club as a matter of course," and that he and the board "created an environment where sexual harassment in an athlete training setting became normalized," Fowlie wrote.
Board reprimanded, ordered to apologize
Ottawa Lions board members Ryan Rowat, Sean Burges, Paul Bedard, Leslie Estwick, Devyani Biswal and Corey Wingate were reprimanded by Fowlie "in the strongest possible terms for their failure to act ethically and with integrity as sport leaders."
The club was also ordered to partially reimburse Athletics Canada $25,000 for investigative costs, issue a public apology and issue private apologies to the alleged victims, among other things.
"The philosophy of the board seems to have been coaches first, club second, athletes third," Fowlie wrote in his decision.
Marin made 21 recommendations in his report, all of which have been accepted by Fowlie and ordered to be acted upon. The recommendations include:
That parents of all current and former male athletes of the Ottawa Lions be notified about the allegations against Porter.
That all Canadian athletics clubs notify Athletics Canada about allegations of harassment and sexual harassment, and that Athletics Canada keep a registry of complaints.
That the Ottawa Lions post on its website all future reprimands, suspensions and discipline of its staff in matters of harassment and sexual harassment, and that Athletics Canada do the same.
That Athletics Canada strike a working group to to decide if coach massages should continue, and if so, under what circumstances and conditions.
That Athletics Canada prohibit alcohol consumption by coaches while on duty with athletes.
That the Ottawa Lions appoint an ombudsman who isn't part of the organization or the board.
Male babysitter in WA court for child sex abuse
By AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
A 73-year-old man accused of sexually abusing five girls when he was babysitting in Perth more than a decade ago will remain behind bars following a court appearance.
David Arthur Rice faced Rockingham Magistrates Court on Monday charged with 31 offences, including 14 counts of sexual penetration of a child and four counts of having a sexual relationship with a child.
Police allege the abuse happened in the Warnbro area between 2002 and 2005, involving girls aged between six and 11 at the time of the first incident.
Rice, from Bunbury in the state's south, was remanded in custody to appear back in court on June 7.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
People, if you have children being cared for by men other than their fathers, or are in a care facility where men work, please, try and find another place for your child. Men who look after children should be regarded with great suspicion.
Decades of Letters Addressed to Jehovah’s Witness Leaders in Brazil and Portugal Now Published Online
Ethan Gregory Dodge
Truth and Transparency
This past Sunday, May 5, 2019, the Truth & Transparency Foundation (TTF) published hundreds of letters written in Portuguese by the highest leaders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The vast majority of the letters, dating back to the 1970s, are addressed and intended only for the eyes of those possessing the title of Elder.
Each congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses is lead by a body of elders, typically comprised of six to eight men. They are the spiritual leaders for the few hundred people attending services at a specific Kingdom Hall location.
It is a regular occurrence that Watch Tower, the governing organization of the religious institution, sends letters to every body of elders in order to dictate, reiterate, or clarify policy. Occasionally, the letters direct the leaders on sensitive topics that could have a negative effect on their religious constituents.
Perhaps the most controversial of such direction came on August 1, 2016, in a letter titled “Protecting Minors From Abuse.” In this letter, elders were instructed to call Watch Tower’s legal department immediately after becoming aware of child sex abuse allegations, rather than law enforcement.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have a history of not reporting child abuse and neglect. In January 2018, the TTF released a series of 33 letters between a body of elders in Massachusetts and Watch Tower discussing the sexual abuse of three young girls at the hands of another member of the congregation. The elders never reported the instances to law enforcement.
In other religions, the knowledge of otherwise concealed policies has often empowered its membership to act. In November 2015, the New York Times reported that thousands of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints resigned their membership upon learning that children of LGBTQ parents could not be baptized into the faith. The church has since rescinded the policy.
Many of these same letters were quickly made available in English days after they were given to elders. This is the first time they are widely available to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brazil and Portugal in their native tongue. Also published is the “Elders Manual” in Portuguese, the English version of which was published by the TTF in February 2019.
All these letters may be accessed here and here. The elders manual for those Jehovah’s Witnesses residing in Brazil is here, and for those in Portugal, here.
Also recently published are talks given by the leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses in portuguese that were originally on AvoidJW.org.
Two WA school teachers face court over failing to report child sex abuse by students
Tim Clarke The West Australian
Two former teachers at one of Perth’s most prestigious private boys’ schools are among the first educators in WA to be criminally charged with failing to report child sex abuse, following allegations a student was sexually assaulted by teammates during an overseas sports trip.
In late 2017, The West Australian revealed a Year 11 boy had been allegedly held down by several Year 12 students and sexually assaulted.
At the time, it was claimed teachers accompanying the students became aware of the allegations but had allegedly failed to notify authorities or the school, which charges fees of more than $15,000 a year.
The alleged attackers and two teachers — one of whom is pictured — were suspended after details of the alleged incident circulated among students and then parents several months later.
An investigation resulted in at least one student being expelled and several others being banned from attending a graduation ceremony.
At least one of those teachers was sacked. But no criminal charges were laid because WA Police had no jurisdiction over an incident that occurred overseas. The school declined to reveal the punishments handed to the students and teachers to “protect the well-being and privacy of individual students”.
It can now be revealed two of the teachers on that trip will face court this month on charges brought by the State Solicitor’s Office of failing to report child sexual abuse.
The charges were brought under legislation enacted in 2009 that requires teachers, police, nurses and doctors to report all suspected cases of child sex abuse.
If found guilty, they could face a fine of up to $6000.
Then-child protection minister Robyn McSweeney at the time hailed the laws as “a milestone in highlighting the seriousness” of the topic.
The number of mandatory reports from teachers to the Department of Communities spiked to 1323 in 2017-18, up almost 60 per cent from 840 three years earlier.
The school’s principal, whom The West Australian has chosen not to name to protect the identity of the victim, confirmed neither teacher was still employed there. But both men are still registered with the Teacher Registration Board of WA.
One claims on his LinkedIn page that he still works at the school and has since 1999. The other says he is now a teaching consultant.
A spokesman for the Department of Communities said “it would be inappropriate for the Department to comment” given the matter was the subject of legal proceedings. “The department will be in a position to provide comment upon conclusion of the case,” he said.
Mediator brought in to resolve Birmingham
LGBT teaching dispute
City council and affected parents appoint former
CPS prosecutor Nazir Afzal
Nazia Parveen North of England correspondent, Guardian
Protesters against the No Outsiders programme at Parkfield community school in Birmingham.
Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
A former leading prosecutor has been drafted in to mediate in a controversial dispute over the teaching of LGBT education in Birmingham schools.
Nazir Afzal, the Crown Prosecution Service’s former lead on child sexual abuse, confirmed he had been asked by parents and Birmingham city council to help reach a resolution in the longstanding dispute.
Parkfield community school, in the Saltley area of Birmingham, hit the headlines after it became the scene of weekly protests over No Outsiders lessons, which parents claimed were “promoting LGBT ways of life”. The programme, which is designed to challenge homophobia, was suspended indefinitely until a resolution could be reached with protesting parents. It was also suspended at another four schools run by the Leigh Trust in the city.
Afzal, who confirmed he had spoken to parents of children at the Birmingham schools, said he would not be making any further comments.
He tweeted: “I can confirm that the city council and parents have asked me to mediate in this matter. I don’t want payment. I don’t propose to give a running commentary. I would prefer if nobody did so that we can try and make progress for the children at the heart of this.”
Nazir Afzal has said it is ‘scandalous’ for LGBT lessons to be pulled after parental pressure.
Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
However, last month in an interview he insisted that pupils “don’t become gay because they learn about the fact there are gay people” and said it was “scandalous” that schools had been forced to pull lessons about LGBT relationships because of pressure from parents.
Speaking to Schools Week after a conference on child sexual exploitation in Bradford, Afzal said the removal of the LGBT programmes in Birmingham did children “no service at all and no good at all” and school environments should be used “as somewhere they can learn things that they wouldn’t learn anywhere else”.
So, I don't think he is going to be very successful as a mediator since it is obvious he drastically opposes what the parents believe. It appears he believes gay people are born that way and can't become gay by any experimentation or persuasion. He quite obviously hasn't studied the concept.
He warned that a failure to teach children properly about sex and relationships could potentially lead to them being exploited by grooming gangs.
He said: “Today I’ve been talking about how British Pakistani men are disproportionally involved in some of the street grooming.
“Part of that is because they didn’t … have relationship education when they were growing up. Our families, sadly, are averse to allowing their children to understand relationship education. And relationship education is a real way of protecting them in future.”
That is true, but not one of the hundreds of grooming cases I have come across on this blog had anything to do with gays or lesbians or trans. It appears he's completely missed the point.
This comes as one of the leading protesters against LGBT teaching, who has coordinated daily protests outside a school in the city, was banned from further demonstrations by the council.
Shakeel Afsar, 32, has been warned that he could face a community protection notice after allegations that staff at Anderton Park primary school, in Sparkbrook, felt intimidated by his actions.
Afsar has protested outside the primary school for the past five weeks, chanting with fellow campaigners: “Let kids be kids,” and “Our kids, our choice.” Other protesters have carried placards with the messages: “Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve,” and “We are not homophobic.”
They have also demanded the resignation of the headteacher, Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson. Although the school does not teach the No Outsiders programme it does share LGBT equality messages and books with pupils.
The warning letter, which was hand-delivered to Afsar’s home on Thursday, also bans him from using a megaphone outside the school and taking photographs of staff. If the warning is ignored he could face court action.
It is understood Afsar plans to contest the ban.
Birmingham city council did not release a statement on the issue but said the ban “in no way prevents him protesting in a peaceful and acceptable manner”.
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