Woman speaks out after sex assault
'I want to go public with my story so that other women can learn from me and find strength from me'
John McFadden
Northern News Services
Friday, June 23, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A woman is speaking out after she said she was held against her will and repeatedly beaten and sexually assaulted in Ndilo Saturday.
The victim spoke to Yellowknifer in order to encourage other women and girls who may have been similarly victimized to come forward despite any fears and reservations they may have about doing so.
"Speak up," said the woman, whose name is under a publication ban filed in court.
"You may have been a victim but you do not have to remain a victim ... Even if it's not to the police - speak to a counsellor."
Peter Tsetta, 48, of Ndilo, appeared in court on Tuesday facing charges of sexual assault and forcible confinement.
On March 30, RCMP appealed to the public through a news release to help locate Tsetta on a different set of identical charges - sexual assault and forcible confinement. He was apprehended later that day.
They also stated at that time there was no immediate threat to the public. The status of those earlier charges remain before the courts. He was out on bail at the time of the latest charges. The victim said she has known the suspect for many years and has no idea what prompted him to act the way he did. She said she finally got away from the man's residence by telling him she would not report the attack and went on to spend several hours in hospital where a rape kit was administered.
She said she was treated very well by the female RCMP officer who was assigned to interview her, and she is already receiving professional counselling.
The woman said that once the man is dealt with by the justice system, she would like to reveal more about what happened to her in an effort to help women prevent putting themselves in a vulnerable position.
"I want to go public with my story so that other women can learn from me and find strength from me," she said.
The woman said she learned from Yellowknifer that her alleged attacker had been arrested and was in custody. RCMP did not respond to questions about why officers did not notify the victim of the arrest. RCMP issued a brief news release on the incident late in the day on Tuesday.
"While there is no immediate threat to the public, these are serious allegations and we want the public to be aware of the incident," stated Marie York-Condon, civilian RCMP spokesperson in Yellowknife.
Tsetta is currently in custody ahead of another court appearance today.
