WARNING: This story discusses sexual aggression.
A Saskatoon prosecutor says that Cecil Wolfe’s sexual aggressions for nine years had an “impressive impact” on their victims and community.
“He failed a significant position of trust,” said prosecutor Lana Morelli on Tuesday in the court of King’s Bench.
“The trauma of the victims was aggravated by sexual aggressions by a trusted healer.”
The 63 -year -old man declared himself guilty to Judge John Morrall in February of a dozen sexual aggressions.
Cree’s self -styled medicine met with a variety of women for nine years in houses and hotel rooms in Muskeg Lake, Onion Lake and Saskatoon. The women who attacked were attracted to him as a trusted healer and sought him to help with the diseases that range from depression to cancer.
Wolfe returned to the court this week to listen to his victims and the presentations of Morelli, Co -President Maria Shupenia and the defending lawyer Harvey Neufeld.
Both the defense and the crown say that Wolfe will face time in a federal penitentiary. The defense is asking for a prayer in the range of four to five years. The crown is arguing for 10 years and nine months.
Morelli said the case presents unique challenges in terms of finding comparable cases as a reference for the sentence. Medical cases generally lack a spiritual component, while religious abuses lack the medical element.
“A healer is a symbol of culture, tradition, spirituality, and healing as a doctor,” he said.
The defense presented seven support letters to Wolfe, but Morelli said one of the notes had a worrying appearance. It seems that Wolfe continued to treat at least one woman from her positions, “and this appears in violation of her liberation conditions.”
She said that the crown agrees that the so -called happy factors play in the presentations of the sentence: “it had a life in the form of colonialism”, but that their culture had not been stripped.
In addition, although it only went to grade 3 in his education, “he has 63 years of life experience,” said Morelli.
“The lack of education does not mean that it should not appreciate that their actions are incorrect.”
If you are in immediate or fears for your safety or that of others around you, call 911. To obtain support in your area, you can search for local crisis and services through the Finish the database of the Canada Violence Association.
