SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Police are reviewing the way they communicate with the public following two home invasions and sexual assaults this month - one that wasn't publicized until more than two-weeks after the fact.
"Questions have come up regarding the lack of public notification after the first incident. Managing officers are reviewing current procedures and will be making changes," stated RCMP Const. Elenore Sturko in an e-mail.
Bobby Zoe, 34, who has at least three sexual assaults on his record, has been charged with two new counts of sexual assault and two counts of break and enter after occupants in two downtown residences complained of an intruder in their homes.
Zoe remains in custody awaiting a Feb. 24 court appearance. He was on probation at the time of the latest offences after having been released early from jail for another home invasion in October 2013.
The RCMP and NWT Department of Justice refuse to say exactly when he was last released from custody.
"The public needs to have the knowledge that there's someone out there," said Lynn Brooks, a member of the John Howard Society's community justice committee and a women's advocate.
"And the type of thing as well. That someone broke into an apartment, that someone went into somebody's bedroom, whatever information they have about the assault without identifying the victim. That needs to be out there and there is no reason it shouldn't be out there."
Brooks said she has no idea why police failed to warn the public about the initial attack. She said she has talked to police about this sort of situation in the past and there doesn't seem to be a clear answer.
"You get this party line from them that they want to be sure of facts and they don't want to cause a panic. Well you are not going to cause a panic, people are not going to go out of their houses screaming."
Being provided with the information allows people to make the precautions they need to take, such as putting a phone by the bed and having emergency numbers handy.
"If I was the second victim I'd be absolutely furious that police had an opportunity to warn me and I could've taken some precautions," she said.
City councillor Linda Bussey is also asking why police didn't tell the public about the first sexual assault when it happened.
"I'd like to know why we weren't told about it until Feb. 15," she said.
Bussey said she doesn't buy into the police stance that they didn't report the first sexual assault to protect the identity of the victim.
"What I don't understand is that they are saying that they didn't report the first instance because they wanted to protect the identity of the victim but then they reported the second incident," said Bussey. "What's the difference?"
The changes RCMP is looking at are aimed at ensuring "incidents like a breaking and entering with a sexual assault component are reviewed immediately to determine if a release of information to the public is necessary," stated Sturko by e-mail.
In a separate e-mail, Sturko said that when a news release is written, police want to consider the best interest of any victims.
There is a potential that victims may be affected by ongoing media coverage caused by releasing information.
"We must be careful not to create barriers for victims in reporting sexual assaults to police by releasing information to the media without careful consideration," Sturko stated.
"The RCMP want to ensure that victims feel they can come forward to report incidents of sexual assault without fear they will be identified or re-victimized."
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins said regardless of the reasons why police may not want to report incidents to the public, the community needs to be warned when a sexual assault has occurred.
"Someone could have prevented it by timely, early, necessary communication of the risk," said Hawkins.
"I think it's critically important that we inform the public at every opportunity when their safety is put at risk. I'm not sure why details were being held back but I would say it's better to put the information out there for citizens' protection than to held it back."
Lydia Bardak, the executive director of the John Howard Society, said the real injustice is the way Bobby Zoe has been treated by the justice system, adding he suffers from a brain injury.
"I've known Bobby for a long time and all I think of is how sad it is that he never got support when he became disabled," she said. "He is detached from community and family and lost here in Yellowknife and we're using the criminal justice system for treatment for someone with a severe brain injury."
