Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 5, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press saturday August 5, 2006 a3 top news Deal gives paedophile a break lawyer boys wont have to testify if Justice officials honour Promise by Mike Mcintyre p Eter Whitmore will immediately plead guilty to kidnapping and sexually assaulting two boys ? sparing the victims from testifying ? if Justice officials honour a signed Deal that led the notorious paedophile to surrender earlier this week his lawyer said yesterday. Daniel Brodsky said his client agreed to the Deal following a standoff in the belief it will allow him to one Day regain his Freedom. But the lawyer also warned that a Long drawn out Legal process was in store for years if the Crown does to agree to spare Whitmore a life sentence and dangerous offender designation that could mean he would remain in prison forever. This whole fiasco could be resolved in two weeks Brodsky told the free press from his Toronto Home yesterday. But this is about much More than Peter Whitmore. Its about the integrity of the police. Police can to do their jobs if the message that plead guilty to crimes involving the two boys and requested he be Given a single cell in prison away from other inmates As paedophiles Are often subjected to abuse and violence behind bars. Del Pino wrote that he would to oppose that request. Saskatchewan Justice minister fran Quennell said yesterday he want part of any Deal to get Whitmore to surrender and police can to bind Justice officials about How they will handle a prosecution. Quennell told reporters he supports any appropriate and legitimate meth ods used by police to capture Whitmore and that his office would Deal with the Case in a Way that protects the Kalmakoff was away from the office yesterday but an official in the Regina Crown attorneys office said the file is still being reviewed and no comment would be made until next week. Brodsky said yesterday the Best Reso Lution for everyone involved would be to honour what a in the letter and bring a speedy conclusion to a Case that gripped the country this comes out of or. Whitmore a week. But this Case is that when you speak the Crown would to be to a police officer All you re is about prevented from asking for speaking to Are liars and a Long prison term and much More obtaining a Long term Whitmore 35, was per offender designation which shaded to come out of an than would add 10 additional abandoned farmhouse near years of intense supervision Peter Kipling sask., late tuesday upon Whitmore a release. Night after the ramp told the decade of parole like Whitmore. Him in writing they would to conditions would be sus seek the maximum penalty Pended each and every time its about against him. Whitmore was caught in Vio he also freed a 14-year-old the integrity lation and sent Back to Winnipeg boy he allegedly prison Brodsky said. Kidnapped 10 Days earlier and of the police its almost a matter of that Means the jurisdictional web around Whitmore could tangle up into a judicial Nightmare for authorities and Whitmore could end up serving less time not More. Brodsky said he was not involved in the negotiations because Whitmore was Only Given a Walkie talkie ? and not a Telephone ? during the standoff. Negotiation was taped the police had my number but they would to allow him to speak with me. It was Only after he was arrested that he called the lawyer said. Brodsky believes the entire negotiation was taped and is seeking a transcript of exactly what was said and promised by police. Brodsky believes they would have difficulty getting a dangerous offender Label against Whitmore because one of the requirements is that an offender has shown no ability to be monitored and supervised in the Community. The exact opposite is True with or. Whitmore. When he had a roof Over his head and was being supervised under a court ordered peace Bond that expired earlier this summer he was being Man aged and stayed out of trouble Brod sky said. Its when he had no supervision and conditions the peace Bond was never renewed by police that he re offended. So How Are they going to convince a judge to give him dangerous offender status Whitmore is being held in custody in Regina and will appear in court next thursday. Police in Newfoundland have con firmed they Are currently investigating a new complaint of sexual assault by Whitmore against a Young boy from top sail . Whitmore spent a week in newfound land in late june moving to a Small Street in Topsail not far from St. Johns. Police were called this week after people saw his picture on television in connection with the Saskatchewan Case. Some residents say Whitmore spent a lot of time around children. Whitmore has a Long history of sex attacks on children dating Back More than a decade in Ontario. Police have come under attack after it was revealed earlier this week they recently neglected to extend a peace Bond against Whit More that had allowed them to legally Monitor him in the Community and track his movements. The Case has also renewed Calls for tougher sanctions against repeat sex criminals and raised questions about Why Whitmore had to already been declared a dangerous offender and locked up indefinitely. ? with files from Alexandra Paul for More on this Story see Mike Mcintyre a blog at . Sexually assaulted causing bodily harm. A 10-year-old Rural Saskatchewan boy who a been snatched from near his fam ily farm sunday afternoon had been res cued from the property earlier in the Day. Police allege he was also sexually assaulted on numerous occasions Dur ing his three Day ordeal. The charges have not yet been proven in court. A court ordered ban prevents publication of the name of either boy. Brodsky has a copy of the ramp let Ter which he says was written and signed by both Insp. Len Del Pino and Saskatchewan prosecutor Jeff Kalmakoff during the course of tues Days negotiations. I will recommend to sask. Justice that the Crown prosecutor will not seek a dangerous offender designation for or. Whitmore nor a life sentence Del Pino wrote. In the letter the officer also said he had spoken about the Issue with Kalmakoff. Brodsky said because the prosecutors signature is on the Docu ment the agreement should be binding on Justice officials. In Exchange Whitmore agreed to certainty he would get a Long term designation. He could sit in the Penitentiary for decades if he a not willing to comply he said. I Don to believe the Crown is giving up very much Roz Prober an International child rights advocate based in Winnipeg said she backs the Deal the police used to get Whitmore to surrender. They made a Deal and they have to stick with it. You have to look at the situation that police found themselves in. They had a 14-year-old highly vulnerable victim and an individual who was Des Perate and desperate people do Desper ate things. They had to get the kid out Prober said. The Deal also puts Whitmore behind bars for longer than he a Ever been locked up before on a single Case. The Issue people can look at Here is they did throw Whitmore a Bone but its a very Bare Bone indeed said Prober who co founded beyond Borders an advocacy group that runs campaigns to end child sex exploitation in 70 countries around the world. In this Case there Are alleged crimes in two provinces and police Are probing More sex allegations in Newfoundland. Kids can recover from sexual assault expert says by Alexandra Paul kids who Are victims of paedophiles need no longer Bear emotional scars for life says a child sex abuse expert who counsels victims. The key to a full recovery is to get help Early said social worker Billy Brodovsky who is one of four full time counsellors with a unique program in Winnipeg called families affected by sexual assault. It deals with child sexual assault except incest. The program is run by new directions a non profit private counselling group that is considered a leading Winnipeg therapy service Agency. Its not like it never happened but kids can and do recover from sexual assault and it does to have to leave a per manent scar the social worker said. There Are at least half a dozen Agen cies in the City not counting private psychologists who offer counselling services for children exploited by sex crimes. Some Are Day Long programs like ones run by residential treatment centres for youth and places like the University of Winnipeg offer specialized counselling. For kids facing their abuser in open court counsellors say Manitoba a child witness program has a solid reputation for treating victims with compassion As they prepare for a trial. The kidnapping of a 14-year-old Winnipeg boy and a 10-year-old Saskatchewan boy by notorious paedophile Peter Whitmore which ended this week after a standoff raised the Issue of the kind of recovery victims can expect. There was no word yesterday on specific counselling services for the two boys allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted. The new directions sexual assault program is the Only one in Winnipeg that counsels families As Well As child Vic Tims. Its tailored to crisis intervention and Short term therapy for children 18 years and younger who have been victimized by a sex offender who does not live in the Home and who in to related to the child. It treats about 300 children and their families each year. Children who suffer at the hands of a paedophile Are now believed to be Able to return to a Normal life As they grow up. In the past families were told the Odds of their children Ever being completely Normal were Uncertain. Countless tales of self destruction and suicides of for Mer victims pointed to troubles Down the Road for child victims depending on How bad the abuse was and How Long it lasted. Parents were told some children internalized the abuse and others externalized it. Internalizing meant the victim could fall prey to drugs or alcohol Addic Tion or other self abusive Behaviours to mask feelings of insecurity rage and abuse meant the child could grow up to become an offender. Now counsellors Tell families that does to have to happen. The key to a recovery is to make sure the victim feels the assault is a real crime and he or she is not to blame. The most important thing is that kids Are believed by their parents and other family members. They can Tell the child we believe you. You re not guilty of any thing and we re going to keep you Safe ? Brodovsky said. ;