Scouts Canada employee charged with sex crimes used to be its spokesperson

A prolonged-serving Scouts Canada employee now facing costs of historical child sex crimes turned into a member of the govt. who served as spokesperson when the group utilized policies to defend childhood from sexual abuse, CBC Info has learned.

John Rietveld, 67, of Ottawa turned into charged on June 16 with one count every of buggery and excessive assault on a male, as wisely as two counts every of sexual assault, sexual interference with any individual beneath 16, and welcoming sexual touching of someone beneath 16.

The group confirmed Rietveld, who first began with Scouts Canada in 1975, worked as their nationwide govt director of communications between 1987 and 1998. 

Within the 1990s, his name regarded in Ottawa Citizen, Vancouver Sun and Maclean’s stories in regards to the group’s efforts to prevent child abuse.

These measures incorporated the introduction of mandatory police background checks and coaching for volunteer screening.

“We rely on what we think is a moderately progressive screening program, one that diverse organizations are having a witness to for example,” Rietveld is quoted as asserting in a 1999 Vancouver Sun article, which detailed how Scouts Canada made every effort to make a safe atmosphere.

Rietveld would then shift to become govt director of earnings growth from 1999 to 2001, after which president and govt director of the Scouts Canada Foundation from 2002 to 2011.

Sexual assault allegations regarding boy and girl

The allegations against Rietveld refer to alleged incidents challenging a boy between 1978 and 1980 in Niagara Falls, Ont., and Mississauga.

The incidents challenging a girl allegedly took train between 2004 and 2005 in Perth, Ont., and Ottawa.

No longer one in every of the allegations gain been proven in court docket. The identities of every teens are safe beneath a publication ban.

Following a 2011 CBC investigation of Scouts Canada, the group issued a blanket apology for the plot in which it dealt with sexual assaults. 

The ensuing 2012 autonomous review, conducted by auditing agency KPMG, learned there gain been 65 incidents where Scouts Canada didn’t negate police about allegations and one other 64 where it wasn’t determined if police were educated.

Rietveld now not flagged in 2012 review

The audit coated 486 records from 1947 to 2011 where grownup scouting leaders were suspended or terminated on allegations of sexual misconduct against teens and childhood.

Scouts Canada stated it shared all its recordsdata with police after the review.

“I can verify that Mr. Rietveld’s name turned into now not flagged within the KPMG review,” read an announcement from Kayleigh Kanoza of Scouts Canada.

“The first we learned of concerns connected to Mr. Rietveld turned into in 2018 when the Ottawa Police Service educated us that he turned into beneath investigation. Scouts Canada is deeply concerned by the costs against Mr. Rietveld and we are able to toughen the police investigation any come we are able to.”

Kanoza added that Rietveld “at no time at some level of his tenure” worked on screening and safety issues and didn’t gain access to recordsdata connected to the safety of childhood.

Scouts Canada utilized mandatory police sage checks on workers and volunteers in 1997. It furthermore requires a vulnerable sector test namely for child-connected offences.

The group stated it has a central team of safety mavens to blame for addressing safety issues across Canada and guaranteeing they’re precise now reported to authorities.