A Nova Scotia music teacher, at the Cobequid Education Centre, and frequent middle-school volunteer at Redcliffe Middle School, Lorna Elaine Letcher, aged 65, has been charged by the Colchester County District Royal Canadian Mounted Police with three counts of sexual assault and three counts of sexual exploitation. These charges stem from historical allegations involving a former student.
The alleged incidents took place between 2005 and 2007 in the community of Valley, where Letcher resided and provided music lessons from her home. Additionally, she served as a band director at the Cobequid Education Centre, a high school in Truro, Nova Scotia. The survivor reported, they were a youth at the time, and that they met Letcher at Cobequid Education Centre and assaults occurred while they were a student at Cobequid Education Centre.
Due to the seriousness of the charges and her arrest, Letcher is subject to specific release conditions, including staying away from individuals under the age of 18.
Investigators are concerned that there may be additional survivors, considering her past roles as a band director and music teacher. Letcher is scheduled to appear in Nova Scotia Provincial Court in Truro on October 25th. [1]
Your Legal Options After Sexual or Institutional Abuse
At Wagners, we’ve met survivors of sexual or institutional abuse who find it extremely difficult to share their experiences, even with a lawyer. We have a team that is professional and compassionate so you can rely on their experience to explain your legal options and provide the assistance you need to fight for your fair compensation. Abuse survivors can trust us to use the information they share to ensure the person or institution responsible are brought to justice. We take the time to evaluate the specifics of your case and advise on the best legal option to help you receive the monetary compensation you need to recover from the abuse you endured.
File criminal charges: If you take this option, you will not get monetary compensation. Investigations will be done, and the accused will be arrested if sufficient evidence is found. If the defendant is found guilty, he or she could face punishment like imprisonment.
Civil lawsuit: In this case, we pursue the case on behalf of the survivor in civil court. If found at fault, the assailant will be required to pay monetary compensation, which would assist the survivor to recover from the abuse.
Class action lawsuit: It is also possible to file a class action lawsuit against an assailant who assaulted several people. The group of survivors can come together to collectively file a class action suit against the person or institution that was responsible for the assault or abuse.
Regardless of when it occurred, if you have been the victim of sexual abuse by a teacher or school staff in the Maritimes, contact Liam O’Reilly and the team at Wagners to understand your legal rights
Compensation
At Wagners, we firmly believe that no amount of compensation can eliminate the pain and suffering that your assailant caused, but there is so much good that comes from a successfully resolved institutional or sexual abuse claim. As a survivor, the monetary compensation you receive can assist you to recover from the abuse and cater to the medical costs involved. Holding the assailant accountable also restores your dignity and encourages other victims of sexual and institutional abuse to come out and seek justice as well.
The amount of compensation you deserve for your sexual or institutional abuse claim will depend on many factors. Some of these factors include:
- How the abuse affected your ability to support yourself and make sufficient income
- The type of medical treatment you need or you have sought due to the abuse
- The personal or unique circumstances of your lawsuit
We know that sexual or institutional abuse is a terrible experience, and many victims usually have a heavy burden that they are likely to carry for a long time. For this reason, we offer reliable legal assistance that you need to get the monetary burden off your shoulders. Our main goal is to build a strong strategy and successfully fight for your rights.
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/music-teacher-accused-historic-sex-assault-against-student-1.6953184 ; https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/former-n-s-band-director-middle-school-volunteer-charged-with-sexual-assault-1.6542721 https://halifax.citynews.ca/2023/08/31/woman-facing-charges-in-alleged-historical-sexual-assaults-in-valley-n-s/ ; https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/former-band-director-at-truro-school-charged-with-historical-sex-offences-100887781/ ; https://globalnews.ca/news/9931448/former-band-teacher-valley-sexual-assault-charges/ ; https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2023/colchester-county-district-rcmp-charge-former-band-director-sexual-offences?re ; https://www.westislandblog.com/former-nova-scotia-band-director-faces-child-sex-abuse-charges/