By Charlene Tebbutt

SRSD facing another lawsuit in connection with historical sexual abuse case

Oct 15, 2018 | 1:17 PM

Several years after the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division settled lawsuits involving former students of known pedophile Dennis Foster, another woman has come forward with claims she continues to suffer the effects of sexual abuse.

The woman, whom paNOW has agreed not to name, filed a statement of claim in August against the school division alleging sexual abuse and emotional and mental trauma. The woman was a student at Riverside Public School in Prince Albert in the late 1980s when Dennis Foster was a teacher. Foster was convicted on charges relating to sexual abuse in 1994 and sentenced to six years in jail. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

A statement of claim contains allegations that have not been proven in court.

The woman’s lawyer told paNOW that his client continues to feel long-term effects from the childhood abuse, and needs counselling for alcohol and drug issues and mental health issues. 

Peter Abrametz Sr. said the school division is “vicariously liable” for Foster’s actions.

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“She was sexually assaulted by a known predator, and with the passage of time, decided that she wants to take action,” Peter Abrametz Sr. said. “There is no statute of limitations on sexual assault, which means even if it’s 10, 20, 30 years later, the complainant, the person who was assaulted has a right to make a claim.”

The sexual abuse was brought to light after several students came forward, including a girl whose mother had become impregnated by Foster as a teen years earlier. The school division later settled a lawsuit with several women who had been abused by Foster and issued a written apology.

“The number of people assaulted are thought to be in the dozens,” Abrametz added. “It’s an incident that is well known in the City of Prince Albert, and I expect that more people will want to come forward and have their day in court because many people were actually abused by this one particular individual.”

Robert Bratvold, director of education with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division, declined to comment on the lawsuit when reached Monday.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Commenting on this story is closed. 

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt