The Nova Scotia Youth Centre in Waterville, N.S., pictured on Wednesday. The province's RCMP says Donald Williams was arrested at his home last week in Dartmouth on sexual-assault charges.Darren Calabrese/The Globe and Mail
The Nova Scotia RCMP have laid dozens of sexual-abuse charges against a former swim instructor who worked at a provincially run youth detention centre for nearly three decades.
Donald Williams, 75, was arrested at his home last week in Dartmouth and faces 66 charges of sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching and assault. The charges relate to 30 victims − all boys but one.
The swim instructor stopped working at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre in the town of Waterville in 2017. He is scheduled to appear in Kentville Provincial Court Sept. 26.
Staff Sergeant Rob McCamon, the acting officer in charge of major crime and behavioural sciences, alleged that Mr. Williams sexually assaulted more than 300 victims between the ages of 12 and 18. Police say additional charges are expected against Mr. Williams.
It’s “because of the bravery and patience of those who come forward to report sexual abuse they suffered at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre so many years ago, that we’ve been able to arrest and charge their perpetrator,” said Staff Sgt. McCamon.
At times during the news conference, Staff Sgt. McCamon’s voice shook with emotion and his eyes welled with tears. In response to questions, he said he’s affected by the volume of young victims and the situation they found themselves in. “It’s just a very sad situation,” he said.
When asked whether other employees at the detention centre are under investigation, Staff Sgt. McCamon said the investigation is ongoing. “I can’t really comment further than that about the details, but any type of sexual-assault complaint that comes in about the Nova Scotia Youth Centre will be followed up on by our team.”
A class-action lawsuit, first filed in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia against the province in 2019, alleges that residents at the detention centre made multiple independent reports to authority figures of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetuated by staff against residents. The suit claims no action was taken and staff continued to abuse youth in their care.
The lawsuit also claims that the province knew shortly after it hired the swim instructor that he was allegedly sexually inappropriate with a boy but failed to take steps to address the behaviour.
The lawsuit outlines some of the allegations, which include sexual assault, unwanted touching and sexual touching, and improper viewing of youths while they were undressed in changing areas.
None of the allegations have been proved in court.
The province filed a notice of defence in 2020, denying that it was negligent, systemically or otherwise, for the alleged sexual abuse, or any breach of duty. The province also denied that residents had reported alleged sexual abuse by the swim instructor to other staff, and that the province knew about alleged sexual abuse shortly after it hired him.
“The Crown did not fail to take appropriate action to investigate and remedy or otherwise address any such allegations or otherwise act in breach of its mandate to rehabilitate young persons remanded or sentenced to incarceration,” said the statement of defence, dated July 13, 2020, and signed by counsel for the Attorney-General of Nova Scotia Peter McVey.
Nova Scotia’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Becky Druhan, declined to do an interview about the charges brought against a former employee of the Nova Scotia Youth Centre on Wednesday. However, she said in a statement that when the allegations were brought to the attention of her department, they were immediately reported to police.
“We will continue to co-operate fully with their investigation,“ she wrote in an e-mail provided to The Globe and Mail.
“Due to ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot provide further comment.”
RCMP began their investigation into the sexual abuse of minors at the youth correctional facility in 2018. A 14-member team of investigators interviewed hundreds of survivors and witnesses and reviewed thousands of documents seized during searches.
The names of the three lead plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit are protected by a publication ban.