The ex-principal of a private Christian institution in Saskatoon has been convicted of striking a past pupil with a wooden paddle, resulting in an assault charge from incidents that occurred around the early 2000s.
A jury at the Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench reached their decision shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, ruling that Duff Arthur Friesen was not guilty of the remaining three charges of assault with a weapon.
The accusations arise from Friesen’s time working at Christian Centre Academy — a private educational institution located in the northern part of the city — during the academic year 2003-2004.
Prior to the commencement of the trial on May 12, Justice Natasha Crooks issued a comprehensive publication ban covering “all evidence presented, arguments made, documents submitted, or victim impact statements should sentencing become necessary.”
Nevertheless, she permitted the reporting of the verdict and sentence. A conference call has been set for June 23 to deliberate on potential dates for the sentencing hearing.
The prohibition on using the trial evidence stays in effect until the end of Friesen’s second jury trial, set for September in Saskatoon.
Friesen, who is 67 years old, faced charges in June 2023 following complaints filed against him in 2021 and 2022. In November 2023, he entered a plea of not guilty and opted for a trial presided over by both a judge and a jury scheduled for May 2024.
He is among the four former administrators who faced historical abuse allegations when the institution was known as Legacy Christian Academy.
It has been renamed Valour Academy.
In 2022, the school found itself at the center of accusations involving assaults and sexual abuses following a $25 million class-action lawsuit. The suit claims that both the educational institution and its associated church were complicit in allowing severe punishments such as student spankings, inappropriate touching of minors by clergy members, along with various forms of physical, mental, and sexual mistreatment.
Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada specifies that “Any schoolteacher, parent, or individual acting in loco parentis is permitted to use corrective physical force towards a student or child in their custody, provided that such force does not surpass what would be considered reasonable under the prevailing conditions.”
In January 2004, the Canadian Supreme Court
released a decision
, elucidating the understanding of Section 43. The ruling forbids educators from employing physical force as a disciplinary measure, stating that any use of force should only serve “correctional” aims rather than punitive ones, and explicitly bans striking students with objects.
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