Winnipeg Free Press

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B RANDON - A woman who narrowly escaped being raped at knifepoint says authorities need to do more to notify victims and the public about offenders' whereabouts once they're released from prison. Brandonite Donna Bowering says she was upset to find out - two to four days after the fact - that the man who had once tried to rape her had gone AWOL. " Our laws protect the sexual offenders," Bowering said. " Our laws do not do anything to protect who has been victimized." In the early morning of March 14, 2007, a drunk William L. Perswain entered Bowering's bedroom with a knife and told her he was going to rape her. She escaped after clubbing him with a frying pan and her nephew, who also lived in the home, rushed to her aid. At the time, Perswain was on parole after being released from Stony Mountain Institution. He had previously been convicted for other offences that included break and enter, exposing himself in his underwear to one woman and then masturbating in the home of another. In July 2008, for the attack on Bowering, Perswain received 82 months in prison for break and enter to commit sexual assault with a weapon. Each year, the Correctional Service of Canada provided Bowering updates on Perswain's participation in rehab programs and any serious disciplinary offences he was involved in. Those updates state Perswain didn't complete such programs as substance abuse and schooling while in custody. On May 1 of this year, the CSC sent Bowering a letter notifying her of Perswain's release date of May 23 and provided her with one final update. The letter notified her that the CSC isn't " permitted" to disclose information about offenders once he or she finishes their sentence. " As of this date, the Correctional Service of Canada ( CSC) and the Parole Board of Canada ( PBC) will no longer have any jurisdiction over this offender, and as a result, we will no longer be providing you with notification about him/ her." The letter noted that if Perswain ever went to federal prison again, Bowering would be contacted and could ask to be placed back on the victim notification service. Following his release, after having parole denied and serving his full sentence, Perswain was placed on courtordered conditions and reportedly placed in a Winnipeg halfway house. However, Bowering said she learned that at some point - she believes it was last Friday, but Brandon police believe it may have been as late as Saturday or Sunday - Perswain went missing from his halfway house. The Winnipeg Police Service, a partner in the Manitoba Integrated High Risk Sex Offender Unit with the RCMP, confirms the unit arrested Perswain on Tuesday, the day Bowering found out he'd been missing for two to four days. Perswain, accused of breaching his court- ordered curfew, was detained. BoweringsaidshefoundoutPerswain was missing from a Brandon Police Service victim services co- ordinator who had tried to reach her on Monday, but managed to contact her Tuesday morning, hours before the arrest. Those few hours were tense ones for Bowering. Brandon police say it was Probation Services that notified them Perswain was absent. The victim services co- ordinator notified officers who patrolled past Bowering's house on Monday, and again on Tuesday evening when an officer spoke to her to make sure she was OK. Bowering, however, said she has been left shaken. She was worried for her own safety and for that of others, she added. She said she's upset with the lag in notifying her of Perswain's absence from his Winnipeg placement. She's also unhappy that it seems the public wasn't notified of Perswain's release from prison, or his absence from the Winnipeg home. Brandon Police Service Sgt. Kevin McLean said at no point was it the Brandon Police Service that was supposed to notify Bowering. And, when Perswain was released from prison, they wouldn't have received any more warning than Bowering. McLean said the High Risk Sex Offender Unit can seek a warrant if it discovers a convict is missing, but he couldn't find a record of the unit contacting the Brandon police about Perswain's absence - although, that doesn't mean it didn't try to reach the them or Bowering. McLean said he believes if the unit had information Perswain was in the Brandon area, it would have notified the BPS right away. In the absence of any information, Bowering turned to Facebook to try to track Perswain. A Winnipeg Police Service spokesman said he couldn't say why there was no public warning issued regarding Perswain. The Community Notification Advisory Committee advises whether police should warn the public about high- risk sex offenders. It includes representatives from the RCMP, Winnipeg and Brandon police, and Correctional Services Canada. However, it is police agencies that refer offenders to the committee for review. If the committee decides a public warning is needed, it's up to police to issue the warning. Several attempts were made to contact the High Risk Sex Offender Unit, but the calls were not returned by press time. - Brandon Sun ' Our laws protect the sexual offenders' Victim says not told attacker was missing By Ian Hitchen COLIN CORNEAU / BRANDON SUN Housing history The Gingerbread House, on Brandon's 15th Street, was one of the noteworthy homes included on the Doors Open tour over the weekend. Heritage buildings throughout Brandon opened their doors to showcase historic interiors during the 14th annual event. If someone you know has Alzheimer's disease or another dementia, we're here to help. Call 204- 943- 6622 or 1- 800- 378- 6699 or visit us online at alzheimer. mb. ca A_ 07_ Jul- 20- 15_ FP_ 01. indd A7 7/ 19/ 15 10: 02: 52 PM ;