Editor's note: Warning. This story contains some graphic content and may not be suitable for all readers.
The first trial of Gary Rudi Groenke, the former Sechelt RCMP officer and football coach accused of sexually assaulting three young boys in the 80's and 90's, got underway in Supreme Court this week with startling testimony from an alleged victim.
Groenke is facing one charge of gross indecency and one charge of sexual assault related to incidents involving a young teen boy at Ruby Lake, Mount Richardson and Groenke's former home on Wharf Road in Sechelt.
Wednesday's cross examination of the alleged victim focussed on the incident at Groenke's home in the late winter of 1985, when the alleged victim was 13.
On the stand, he said he had been at Groenke's house with a number of other young men to have some drinks and hang out. He told the court towards the end of the evening he was in Groenke's hot tub. When the youth emerged from having a shower, he found Groenke in the bathroom with him.
The alleged victim told the court how Groenke fondled and groped him, performed oral sex and anal sex on him and then went to sleep.
In his questioning, Groenke's defense lawyer Patrick Doherty targeted inconsistencies between what the alleged victim said in his original statement to police, the preliminary inquiry and in testimony on the stand. Questions arose as to how much the alleged victim resisted some of Groenke's sex acts, what happened immediately following the alleged assault, whether he got a ride home from Groenke that night or the following day and numerous other details about interactions he had with Groenke.
Doherty frequently asked the alleged victim how his recollection of events could change depending on when he was asked. The alleged victim, appearing very frustrated, was blunt with Doherty.
"I'm not a psychologist. I'm not qualified to tell you how memory works," he said.
He added that going through the trial process has forced him to relive the incidents he had for so long tried to forget.
"I spent many years trying to fight these memories and trying not to remember them," he said.
Doherty also asked the alleged victim why he decided to join two other boys in a trip to Groenke's home in Port Alberni two or three years later.
The alleged victim said he was terrified that people would find out about the assaults, or that Groenke would suspect he was going to come forward about it, so he went "to keep up appearances." The alleged victim said Groenke gave the impression he was "above and beyond the law" and that he could get away with anything, causing the alleged victim to fear for his safety.
"It wouldn't leave my mind that he could take a trip to Sechelt and off me," he told the court.
In his final question, Doherty suggested to the alleged victim that there was never any inappropriate sexual contact between the two.
"Would you agree with that?" Doherty asked
"Absolutely not," the alleged victim replied.
This is the first of three trials for Groenke. Last week, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mary Ellen Boyd ruled on a severance application by defense counsel, deciding that Groenke should face three separate trials for each of his alleged victims. Crown and defense Lawyers will meet April 13 to fix dates for Groenke's next two trials.
The first trial is expected to run until next Wednesday. Crown expects to call three more witnesses with the defence possibly opening their case on Monday.
Doherty could not say how many witnesses he would call, but said Groenke would "probably" take the stand next week.
A publication ban has been imposed prohibiting the publication of anything that may identify the alleged victims or witnesses in the trial.
Groenke was acquitted in February 2008 in a Victoria courtroom of similar sex offences against minors.
-With files from Steven Hill
