A 46-year-old New Brunswick woman is facing several charges for allegedly assaulting a youth under the age of 16 last month.
The RCMP received a report of a cook allegedly assaulting a youth at a Johnston Point summer camp on Aug. 24.
Rev. Faith March-MacCuish, executive minister with The United Church of Canada, says the church is “deeply concerned” by reports of an alleged assault at Camp Ta-Wa-Si, which is connected to the church.
“We understand that, upon learning of the allegation, Camp Ta-Wa-Si took immediate action, including terminating the employee’s employment and reporting the matter to the appropriate authorities. We support the camp’s full cooperation with the ongoing investigation by the RCMP and the New Brunswick Department of Social Development,” she said in a statement.
“Incidents involving the alleged harm of a child or youth are taken with the utmost seriousness. We are committed to maintaining safe and respectful environments in all church communities and ministries and to responding appropriately whenever concerns are raised.”
Following an investigation, police arrested a woman at a Port Elgin school on Sept. 8, according to an RCMP news release.
Randolph MacLEAN, superintendent and CEO of the Anglophone East School District, says he is aware of the ongoing investigation.
“Anglophone East School District is cooperating fully with the RCMP as part of their ongoing investigation. As this remains an active police matter, we are unable to provide further details at this time,” he said in a statement to CTV News.
“The safety and well-being of our students remains one of our highest priorities. All AESD employees are required to complete a Criminal Record Check and Vulnerable Sector Check as part of our employment screening process. The individual referenced in the RCMP release has not been at work since the time of their arrest.”
Jennifer Collen Abbott appeared in court on Sept. 9 to face charges of:
- sexual assault
- sexual interference
- indecent exposure to a person who is under the age of 16
Abbott was released on conditions and is scheduled to return to Moncton provincial court on Oct. 7.
“This is an active investigation, and we are actively working to identify any possible, additional victims,” said Cpl. Hans Ouellette in the release. “We want to ensure that individuals are aware that a sexual assault complaint can be made at any time.”
Anyone who has information related to the incident is asked to call their local police or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.crimenb.ca.
For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
