Besides residing at the same Lunenburg County group home and being sexually abused by the same man, the three young females had one other thing in common.
Each of them has a mental disability.
Their abuser, Glen Hawkins, 45, of Branch LaHave, pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual exploitation of a person with a disability late last month in Bridgewater Supreme Court. He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3. According to court records, the offences occurred between March 2015 and January 2016.
The victims’ identities are protected by a publication ban.
Karine Myrgianie Jean-François, senior project manager with Disabled Women’s Network Canada, says such cases are all too common in her world.
“It’s not that unusual to see a man in a position of authority and trust doing these things,” said Jean-François. “It’s shocking in a way that these victims
experienced sexual violence from a caregiver but most sexual assaults are from people we know.
“When it’s a caregiver, the abuse often occurs with a threat of abandonment, withholding support. There’s often emotional abuse, intimidation. Victims don’t know if there will be anyone else to support them.
“I’m really glad that those three women denounced their abuser. It’s a reality that’s way too common. But in order for it to be stopped, it needs to be recognized.”
Statistics Canada data released in March show Canadians with disabilities are about twice as likely to experience violence as their able-bodied peers, with greater instances of victimization taking place at every stage of life.
As in the general population, nearly 90 per cent of disabled sexual assault victims were women. But while 29 in 1,000 women overall reported surviving a sexual assault, the number jumped to 56 per 1,000 for disabled women. Women with a cognitive or mental health condition were at greater risk, Statistics Canada said, identifying their rates of victimization at 121 and 131 per 1,000, respectively.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the #MeToo movement, about women speaking out about sexual violence, especially in the last couple of years,” said Jean-François. “It’s hard for women to be believed when they talk about sexual violence. But it’s especially hard for women with disabilities.”
Jean-François said the latest figures likely underestimate the magnitude of the problem, since they omit people living in institutions and rely on evidence from people who disclose that they have a disability. She says in order to for governments and advocacy groups to properly address the issue, they must understand the true scope of the problem.
“Whether it’s a hospital, long-term-care facility or prison, you need to have a proper representation of what is a very serious problem. There are a significant amount of women living in long-term-care facilities. Their voices need to be heard.”
With the Canadian Press
