Police Investigate Sex-assault Complaint By Former B.C. Councillor's Daughter

BRAMPTON, Ont. — A criminal investigation is underway stemming from allegations of sexual and physical assault made in a complaint to police by the daughter of a former municipal councillor in British Columbia.

 

Eileen Wilke of Lions Bay resigned from village council last week after it became public that she and her husband were suing Sherri Thomson for allegedly breaking the terms of a settlement agreement signed in 1996.

 

The legal agreement says Wilke's husband, Ronald Wilke, would pay his stepdaughter $33,000 and that Thomson would drop a civil lawsuit against him and agree not to discuss or disclose publicly any allegations of sexual assault except to family, close friends, her partner or therapists.

 

Josh Colley of Peel Regional Police in Ontario says officers with the special victims unit, which investigates sexual assault and incidents involving children, have begun an investigation stemming from a complaint made by Thomson in December. He was unable to identify the subject of the investigation.

 

The Wilkes' lawyer, John Whyte, says neither he nor his clients have been contacted by police and they are unaware of any investigation. Whyte declined comment on the allegations of sexual and physical assault.

 

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

 

In the legal response to the Wilkes' lawsuit filed earlier this month, Thomson alleges that she was the victim of sexual, physical and psychological abuse as a child at the hands of her stepfather.

 

Thomson has consented to her name being used in the media through her lawyer.

 

A notice of civil claim filed by Ronald and Eileen Wilke last November says they agreed to the settlement in 1996, two years after Thomson filed a lawsuit against the couple in Ontario.

 

The document also says Thomson alleged that Eileen Wilke had failed to protect her from abuse.

 

The statement of claim filed by the Wilkes says Thomson sent a letter with transcripts referencing the allegations to Elections B.C., the mayor of Lions Bay and a local radio station. Various community groups also received copies of the transcripts, including Lions Bay Emergency Social Services, Lions Bay Neighbourhood Block Watch and Lions Bay Community School, it says.

 

In her response, Thomson confirms she sent the transcripts to the organizations and individuals outlined in the statement of claim.

 

But Thomson disputes that she agreed not to disclose the allegations.

 

Thomson says in her response that even if she did provide the information, the non-disclosure condition "is void and unenforceable as against the defendant on the ground of public policy, in that it is on its face and attempt to stifle, or in practice would have the substantive effect of stifling, the investigation and/or prosecution of serious criminal offences."