Sign up for the paNOW newsletter

Sexual assault trial begins for school counsellor

Oct 24, 2016 | 2:00 PM

A trial has begun for a former Prince Albert school counsellor accused of sexual assault.

Gerald Turcotte’s two-week trial opened this morning at Prince Albert’s Court of Queen’s Bench. Turcotte is accused of sexual assault, sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching. The charges carry a maximum jail sentence of 14 years.

The court heard from the female complainant in the case, whose name cannot be printed due to a publication ban, as she was a minor when the alleged assault occurred.

According to her testimony, when she was attending St. John School in the late 90s, she was assigned Turcotte as a counsellor. Turcotte, she testified, would regularly pick her up and take her to St. Francis School for counselling in his office to help her with issues stemming from attention deficit disorder and other learning disabilities.

The complainant testified that during one of their counselling sessions Turcotte told her he was going to show her a “stress relieving technique” and began touching her inappropriately while encouraging her to touch him as well. She testified Turcotte reached into her underwear while touching himself through his pants, and pinned her up against a wall while trying to fondle her breasts.

Despite saying the touching made her feel “weird” and “uncomfortable,” the alleged victim said Turcotte warned her she may feel some discomfort “at first.”

The complainant said she fled Turcotte’s office soon after the touching began and, despite being chased by Turcotte and other staff members, jumped the school’s fence and ran from the campus. An older couple, she testified, picked her up and let her call her mother before returning her to St. John.

Turcotte, sat calmly throughout the morning’s testimony wearing a plain black suit and remained stoic under her accusation.

According to the complainant, Turcotte’s alleged assault resulted in a number of mental health and anxiety issues which she said continue to trouble her today.

“I didn’t trust authority,” she said, adding being alone with men, even male relatives or her partner, continues to make her uncomfortable.

The trial before a judge is is expected to wrap up next Friday. paNOW will bring you updates as the trial progresses.

 

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews