Manitoba man handed 12-year jail term for sexually abusing daughter, stepdaughter
'Offender persisted with his pattern of grooming leading to reprehensible abuse,' judge writes
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
A Manitoba man whose partner found out about his sexual abuse of their daughters has been slapped with a 12-year jail sentence.
The man pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual interference inside a provincial courtroom on Nov. 19 after more than a decade of prolonged abusing his daughter and stepdaughter, according to a written decision.
He cannot be named due to a publication ban.
Provincial court Judge Denis Guénette described the man’s sexual abuses, which were committed toward his daughter from 2013 to 2019, and against his stepdaughter from 2019 until late 2023, in his decision.
“The offender persisted with his pattern of grooming leading to reprehensible abuse for more than a decade, and he did so in relation to two vulnerable children for whom he was a parent and therefore in the highest possible position of trust,” the judge wrote.
The man turned himself into police on Dec. 16, 2023 — the same day his partner found out about his abuse and kicked him out of the house, per court documents.
He had not been part of his daughter’s life until she started asking questions of her mother about him when she was nine years old. The couple dated briefly, but then broke up, and it was only after their split she learned she was pregnant with their daughter.
The couple reconnected and the man eventually moved into the home, which included another daughter that the mother had. She eventually became his stepdaughter.
The sexual abuse began with his daughter when she was 10 or 11 years old, and continued for a period of seven years until she was 17. The abuser eventually began to give her money to perform some of the sex acts, according to the decision.
“She says there was a point when she started standing up for herself, to which he reacted by telling her if she co-operated he would not touch her stepsister. The daughter thus continued to suffer the abuse, believing she was protecting her younger sibling,” Guénette wrote.
The man broke the “twisted promise” to his daughter when he started to sexually abuse her stepsister around late spring 2019. She was 10 years old when the abuse began, starting mostly on weekends, “but it sometimes also happened during the week when her mother was at work.”
The girl didn’t perceive that her stepfather’s actions were inappropriate, but she started to tell her friends as she became increasingly more uncomfortable.
They suggested she tell her mom about the abuse, which she did the same day her stepfather was told to leave the household, the decision says.
The abuser turned himself into police, admitting the crimes against his daughter but electing not to reveal any information pertaining to the sexual abuse of his stepdaughter.
He was formally arrested in February 2024 and arrested again in July of that year after his stepdaughter provided a statement of the sexual abuse he had inflicted upon her.
The man pleaded guilty to two offences in March of this year.
Impact on daughter
In her victim impact statement, the abuser’s daughter said the abuse she endured has led to “upheaval” and “destruction” in her life.
“She has unbearable numbing emotional pain, feels a significant sense of betrayal, has suffered eating disorders, experiences self-loathing, and harbours deep hatred for her father,” Guénette wrote.
The abuser’s lawyer contended that a shorter sentence should have been handed down to his client for his co-operation with authorities.
But the judge sided with the Crown, handing seven- and five-year consecutive sentences for the man’s sexual abuse toward his daughter and stepdaughter, respectively, the decisions says.
“Psychological harms are to be recognized, and they need not be measured solely according to the scope of physical invasiveness or harms,” the judge wrote.
“A parent’s ongoing sexual abuse of their child is significant, and incudes the damage caused to the child from the fact it is their own parent who was the abuser.”
Guénette has ordered the man register as a sex offender for 20 years following his release from prison. For the first 15 years, he will be banned from places where children under the age of 16 are present.
If you’re in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911. If you’re affected by family or intimate partner violence, you can look for help through crisis lines and local support services.
Father gets 16 years for sexual and physical abuse of daughters; Mother gets 10 months
A 61-year-old man from Apeldoorn, F.W., was sentenced to 16 years in prison for sexually abusing and physically abusing his four daughters over more than two decades, beginning when they were young. His 59-year-old wife, H.M., was sentenced to 10 months for participating in the abuse but was acquitted of sexual abuse charges due to insufficient evidence.
Both parents were convicted of physical abuse. The public prosecutor described their household as “very closed and religious.” The children endured being locked in the basement, hit with hands or objects such as a Bible, pinched, placed under cold showers, and set outside in child seats. Most of the abuse was carried out by F.W. under the instruction or encouragement of H.M., though she also physically assaulted the children herself.
The couple’s four sons were subjected to similar abuse but did not file complaints; their statements nevertheless contributed to the convictions.
The court found ample evidence to convict F.W. of sexual abuse. One daughter reported witnessing her father sexually abuse a sister in their shared bedroom. Other witnesses confirmed his inappropriate behavior, and app messages corroborated portions of the daughters’ accounts.
H.M. was acquitted of sexual abuse because the testimony of two accusing daughters was not used, another daughter did not accuse her, and the oldest daughter’s reliable statements lacked supporting evidence. Both parents were prohibited from contacting their daughters and are subject to a location ban.
The girls filed separate complaints in 2018, 2021, and 2023, describing years of sexual abuse and physical maltreatment. In one case, abuse continued even after a daughter was placed outside the home.
Three of the daughters sought damages. The court largely approved their claims, awarding compensation for pain and suffering—ranging from 28,500 to 35,000 euros for sexual abuse and 7,500 euros for physical abuse—as well as material costs for study delays, treatment-related travel, and health insurance deductibles.
During the trial, the parents’ lawyers argued that their right to cross-examine witnesses had been violated. The court acknowledged that the questioning rights were partially breached but ruled that sufficient compensation had been provided, allowing the daughters’ testimony to remain as evidence.
Experts, including a forensic psychologist and the National Expertise Group for Special Sexual Cases, assessed the reliability of the daughters’ statements. The court concluded that the testimony was largely consistent and credible. Some later statements, however, may have been influenced by sibling discussions, potentially creating false memories. Those portions were excluded from evidence.
The court emphasized the profound impact on the victims. “A safe home with the protection of a father and mother was never experienced,” the ruling said. “F.W. placed his own sexual needs above the children, and the abuse seemed normal to both parents. Their failure to protect the children is weighed heavily.”
F.W. and H.M. underwent psychological evaluations, which did not influence sentencing or suggest mandatory treatment. For F.W., the court considered the severity, frequency, and duration of the sexual abuse, citing guidelines for single instances of rape, typically punished with two years in prison. Given the sustained and extensive abuse, the court imposed 16 years.
For H.M., the court cited the nature, severity, frequency, and consequences of her abuse. Despite her acquittal on sexual charges and previously clean record, the court ruled that an unconditional prison sentence was appropriate, sentencing her to 10 months.
A court spokesperson explained that the mother’s sentence was lower than the 10-year prosecution demand because she was acquitted of sexual abuse, and the most severe acts of violence, such as throwing boiling water, striking with a hot poker, or hitting with a Bible, were not proven. Standard penalties for assault would start at a 500 euro fine, but the sustained abuse across multiple children led the court to impose 10 months’ imprisonment.
The public prosecutor has two weeks to decide whether to appeal the verdict.
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