Nurse faces two sex charges
Accused's name withheld to protect victim - police

Cindy MacDougall
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 24/99) - RCMP are refusing to identify a male nurse at Stanton Regional Hospital who has been charged with two sex crimes against a minor.

The nurse was charged Friday with sexual assault and sexual exploitation after an incident with a youth patient on Thursday, according to Const. Tamara Bellamy of the Yellowknife RCMP.

Bellamy, who is investigating the case, said the police are not releasing the name of the nurse because it might identify the victim.

"We're looking to protect the victim," she said. "(The victim's) already been through enough."

Corp. Mike Brandford, of the Yellowknife detachment, said police decide whether to release names "on a case by case basis."

"It's up to the investigators of the case and the supervisor on shift," he said.

The nurse has been released on bail and will appear in Yellowknife territorial court in early January to face the two charges against him.

Mike Huvenars, Stanton's spokesperson and chief financial officer, said the nurse has been suspended with pay until the case concludes.

"As far as I know, this is the first time we've had a situation like this," he said.

Huvenars said the hospital will not comment on any specifics of the case.

"For the most part, we'll be referring you back to the RCMP," he said. "This is a criminal matter."

He said the hospital did follow child welfare protocol in the case.

"We reported it to the police and child protection services were involved," Huvenars said.

The hospital has not officially started an internal review or any disciplinary action on the matter, Huvenars said, but he expected the health board to conduct a review of policy and procedures.

He said the nurse will be treated according to union agreements.

"The nurse is a member of the Union of Northern Workers, so we'll be going with whatever the collective agreement outlines in cases like this."

The master collective agreement for all GNWT employees states the employer has a right to conduct disciplinary reviews on workers who have violated job requirements and expectations, and may suspend an employee with pay during such a process.

An employer also has the right to refuse severance pay to an employee dismissed with cause.

However, the employee has a right to defend him or herself in the formal discipline process. And the union many file a grievance if it has a problem with the disciplinary action.

Barbara Wyness, public relations director for the Union of Northern Workers, said the union will make sure the collective agreement is followed in any case like this.

"We investigate and we're here for our members," she said.