Police called about sex assaults at festival
Performer expresses heartbreak and anger about alleged incident during Saturday show
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
At least one sexual assault was reported at the Folk on the Rocks music festival this past weekend that police were called to investigate, according to organizers.
A Tribe Called Red performs in the Folk on the Rocks beer garden stage Saturday. One of the members later posted about how angry and heartbroken he was that a fan was allegedly sexually assaulted during the performance. - Jessica Davey-Quantick/NNSL photo |
On top of this, a performer, a stage MC and festival goers referred to multiple allegations of sexual assault in the beer garden dance area of the music event over the weekend.
The festival site near the golf course on Highway 3 has several stage areas that had featured various acts. The beer garden is a fenced off area with an open space for dancing between the stage and rows of picnic tables.
Police didn't provide many details Monday but RCMP Sgt. Donald Duplissea wrote in an e-mail Mounties were called several times to Folk over the weekend and some of those incidents remain under investigation. He added he wasn't aware of any charges being laid as of Monday afternoon.
Ian Campeau, a member of A Tribe Called Red, made a public post on his Facebook page Sunday, describing how he felt angry and heartbroken about an alleged assault during the group's performance in the beer garden the day before.
"I had a friend who was assaulted at our performance last night," Campeau posted Sunday, writing the woman had been excited to see the indigenous group perform. "But that moment was taken from her. A non-Indigenous man felt that he was entitled to put his hands on my friend's Indigenous body and took that pride and switched it with rage, confusion and sadness."
Ashley Makohoniuk, Folk on the Rocks vice-president, wrote in an e-mail the organization could only confirm one complaint Saturday evening in the beer garden. The incident was promptly dealt with by police, she wrote.
"Folk on the Rocks supports a safe environment and implements many measures to protect patrons and ensure a positive Festival experience," she stated, not elaborating on those measures.
"We appreciate the support of those individuals who brought this to our attention and it is unfortunate that specific individuals have shown disrespect - as this does not represent what the Folk on the Rocks Festival is about."
On Sunday afternoon, a male was arrested in the beer garden for an alleged sexual assault against a separate person than the one referred to by Campeau, according to a person who saw the arrest but did not wish to be identified.
The MC of the beer garden stage on Sunday evening reminded his audience that consent is required and alluded to multiple incidents when consent wasn't granted.
"Three times now. It's not OK," he told the crowd.
The majority of sexual assaults go unreported to police, according to surveys by Statistics Canada. Guilty verdicts only occurred in 23 per cent of adult sexual assault cases in Canada in 2011-12, the national statistics agency reported.
In Yellowknife there were 32 sexual assaults - including those against children - reported to police in 2014, according to Statistics Canada.
