By Taylor MacPherson

Tearful testimony in Turcotte trial

Oct 26, 2016 | 6:26 AM

Emotional testimony was heard during the second day of Gerald Turcotte’s sexual assault trial, Oct. 25.

Turcotte, 49, faces charges of sexual assault, sexual interference, and invitation to sexual touching and is accused of sexually assaulting a female student when he was a counsellor at St. Francis School during the mid ‘90s..

The alleged victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, faced tough questions under cross-examination. Defense lawyer Estes Fonkalsrud pressed her for specifics regarding the aftermath of her alleged assault, and noted timeline discrepancies between her statements at trial and previous sworn testimony at the preliminary inquiry in 2015.

The complainant said she was “mixed up” when testifying at the preliminary inquiry, and asked Fonkalsrud to “stop turning my words around on me.”

Senior Crown Prosecutor Shawn Blackman brought up the complainant’s learning disabilities and communication issues on re-examination, and asked whether she might be confusing the day the alleged assault occurred with other days when her mother was called to pick her up.

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The alleged victim said the specific details of the incident, now almost 20 years in the past, were not clear in her mind, but added she remembers every detail of the alleged assault.

“It’s been scarred in my mind,” she said.

The complainant’s mother was called to the stand next. When asked to identify Turcotte as her daughter’s former counsellor, she requested permission to “approach the man in the box and look in his eyes.”

Judge Grant Currie gave permission and the complainant’s mother stood as close to Turcotte as possible and looked directly into his eyes before confirming he was the man she met nearly two decades ago. Turcotte showed no emotion during the unusual moment, or throughout the day’s proceedings.

Under further examination the complainant’s mother testified about her daughter’s “challenging” childhood, and said there had been several physical altercations between them. She also said her daughter was “easy to sway” due to her learning disabilities, and said she was “borderline handicapped” during childhood.

When asked what she did after hearing about the alleged assault, her mother said “nothing.”

“I didn’t believe her,” she said, putting her head in her hands and sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”

After hearing the mother’s testimony, the Crown concluded its arguments.

The defense called two witnesses, both former employees of the school attended by the complainant. One witness was a former principal who testified there were no allegations of abuse against Turcotte or any other school employee during his tenure.

The defense is expected to call its final witness today. Two weeks have been set aside for the trial, but Blackman said he anticipates the proceedings will conclude this week.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

@TMacPhersonNews