BEHCHOKO/RAE EDZO - The woman sexually assaulted by former Tlicho grand chief Joe Rabesca is breaking the silence after enduring what she says has been constant harassment by his supporters since filing a complaint with police last October.

"It's too scary to talk openly about what happened (during the assault)," said the woman, who can't be named due to a publication ban ordered by the trial judge Brian Bruser. "The people in (Behchoko) have harassed me ever since it happened."

"Those people are capable of hurting me, so I just keep my mouth shut."

The incident between 62-year-old Rabesca and his victim occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 13, 2010, when, according to prosecutor Angie Paquin, the woman entered a room in Rabesca's Behchoko home and the former grand chief touched the woman's buttocks at the end of a conversation with her.

Added testimony from a second woman who witnessed the incident claimed there were beer cans in the room where the assault took place, Paquin said.

The victim said several people have told her to stay quiet about what happened during the assault, telling her to "just leave it alone."

"They told me, 'You're not going to win;' the people (in Rabesca's) community protect each other," she said.

"Many of them have addiction issues and walk the street half-drunk, and they all look out for each other."

Rabesca's victim said she had to take at least six months off her job to deal with severe harassment by a number of people.

"I was worried about having my tires slashed, and I had to unplug my phone because I couldn't deal with it anymore – I didn't want to change my phone number," the woman said.

The woman who witnessed the assault and testified in Rabesca's trial said she is appalled with its outcome.

"I was in the courtroom when he (Rabesca) was sentenced. The judge had to silence the crowd after they erupted in cheers when he handed down the sentence. People in the courtroom also ran toward Mr. Rabesca and began embracing him and shaking his hand," she said.

"The community threw a barbecue in his honour that night to celebrate him avoiding jail time. I find this disgusting and extremely disrespectful to victims of sexual assault everywhere."

Bruser handed Rabesca a year of probation for the crime in a Behchoko court May 19, a day after finding him guilty. Rabesca stepped down as Tlicho grand chief in October 2010, just days before the victim pressed charges. He had served several terms as grand chief and chief of Behchoko over the past few decades.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.