Guard charged with sex assault at detachment on Piikani Nation
By Lethbridge Herald on October 17, 2023.
Theodora Macleod
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER
A guard at the Piikani Nation RCMP detachment in Brocket has been charged with sexual assault and breach of trust after a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted while lodged overnight in RCMP custody. According to the Southern Alberta RCM District the alleged incident is said to have taken place in the early hours of Oct. 13.
RCMP say that Charles G. Provost, a 32-year-old resident of Brocket and a Corps of Commissionaire guard employed by the RCMP, has been removed from his position and is set to appear in the Alberta Court of Justice in Pincher Creek on Nov. 23.
In a statement released by RCMP, Acting District Officer for Southern Alberta, Superintendent Rick Jane says, “The RCMP takes all sexual assault incidents very seriously.”
The charges come as the result of an investigation done by the Southern Alberta RCMP General Investigation Section which included a review of footage from the cellblock video camera.
“Once our officers were notified that this had happened, action was taken very quickly and a thorough investigation was completed. No matter what the circumstances are, anyone in the care of the RCMP must be protected and we will not tolerate a breach of trust,” says Jane.
An operational review of the detachment has also been mandated by the Southern Alberta RCMP District to assess compliance with RCMP policies and procedures. The review aims to determine the need for changes within the detachment considering the alleged incident.
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