The recent conviction of sex offender Brock Mackenzie Whalen, a former northern Alberta teacher forces difficult questions about children’s safety.
Mikaela Moulton, clinical supervisor at the Dragonfly Centre, says they have noticed significant delays in conviction rates, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic due to court backlogs.
“Often, when it comes to these types of cases,” says Moulton, “the offence is done behind closed doors the evidence that is usually required is hard to provide.
Moulton says when it comes to receiving testimony sometimes it takes a long time because of trauma informed tactics. She says that memory can be impacted by trauma, and the reporting process can cause a lot of feelings of fear for the survivor. Moulton also noted that a challenge in rural communities is that people have to travel to urban centres for appropriate forensic reporting.
“There’s always a fear that they won’t be believed, fear of family and friendship relationship breakdown,” says Moulton. She says sometimes there’s a lack of understanding from community members in regard to disclosure rules and reporting.
“In the realm of sexual violence,” says Moulton, “it is those who are close to children who are most likely to perpetrate.”
Moulton says the Dragonfly Centre sees this time and time again.
The Dragonfly Centre is a sexual assault crisis centre that provides support for survivors in many ways, including their Legal System Advocacy and Navigation Program (LSAN.)
Moulton says that they’ve seen cases like the Brock Whalen case before “it’s a big shock to the community when we learn someone, we know and trust could commit these horrible acts,” she says.
LSAN is funded by the Alberta Law Foundation. The program helps individuals and families to understand their rights.
LSAN is available to anyone and aims to help people to make informed decisions about their options.
Moulton says that people are often unaware of their rights or choices. The Dragonfly Centre aims to bridge that gap through education.
Resources such as the Dragonfly Centre head office and their website are available to survivors. For support outside of office hours, there is the Alberta 1 line, operated by Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Services (AASAS.) The number is 1-866-403-8000 and can be used to text or call 9 am to 9 pm 7 days a week with specialized confidential staff.
Within AASAS is the Sexual Assault Case Review Committee which is a multi disciplinary committee that investigates cases that have been closed. The committee has members from the RCMP, various professions within the legal system and more.
Moulton says she has worked in this field for over a decade and says the lengthy time between reporting and sentencing is very difficult for the survivor. She says that knowing that this is going to become part of their life for a very long time can prevent survivors from coming forward.
Sexual violence takes the control of one’s own life away from survivors, says Moulton, Dragonfly Centre aims to give that control back to survivors.
Education is important for communities to be prepared when these things happen which can both help survivors get help and be preventative.
Moulton says sentences should be harsher. She says that these offences are happening repeatedly in spaces that are supposed to be safe. She says that protecting children should be a collective priority.
“Especially when we look at prevalence rates knowing that it is usually people who are close to the individual,” says Moulton.
According to statistics Canada, only 6 percent of sexual assault cases are reported. Moulton says sentencing being so low comparatively doesn’t send a positive message to survivors.
By Sara Driedger, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeside Leader, https://www.lakesideleader.com/
Original Published on Mar 18, 2026 at 09:40
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