SWIFT CURRENT - A Saskatchewan man who committed incest with his biological daughter has been sentenced to four years in prison.
The 51-year-old man, who can’t be identified due to a publication ban on his name to protect the victim’s identity, was sentenced in Swift Current Court of King’s Bench on June 10. The court called the man “Mr. L.” and the girl “E.”
“The court wishes to acknowledge the profound and devastating effect these assaults have had on young E. who now goes into her teenage years ‘broke’ by her father’s conduct,” said Justice Timothy Keene.
The assaults took place on three occasions, court heard. She was 13 when she was visiting his farm home to spend the night when the first sexual assault occurred. The second episode happened at a family gathering, and the third incident was when the family had rented rooms at a hotel that had a swimming pool and water slide.
Mr. L. is married and has other children, court heard.
E. L. provided a victim impact statement describing her considerable mental and emotional trauma and stating that her sense of trust has been shattered. She ended up having a difficult time at school, difficulty sleeping, and started to cut herself. She said she was now afraid of her father.
She said the assaults “broke me” and she was scared and “never felt safe anywhere I went.” She developed an eating disorder because the “mental pain was unbearable.” She also said that she was “terrified to be in a room with anyone” and at night barricaded her bedroom door with her dresser so she could feel “slightly safe enough to sleep.”
E.’s mother provided a victim impact statement expressing her anger, shock, depression and anxiety as a result of Mr. L.’s behaviour. She said that she feels guilty because she supported Mr. L’s relationship with E. after their separation.
The Crown had asked for a five to seven-year prison sentence, whereas the defence argued for 24 months in jail followed by three years of probation.
Justice Keene sentenced the man to 1,461 days, or four years, in a federal prison. He had no remand or pre-sentence custodial time credit to be taken off his sentence. He was ordered to provide his DNA and will be on the Sex Offender Information Registration for life, banned for life from any parks, pools, playgrounds, daycares, school grounds, or community centres where there will be children, unless with a responsible adult who is aware of the order. He is banned for life from working or volunteering with anyone under the age of 16, or having any contact with children under the age of 16.
