Davis Inlet to deal with sex abuse claims

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Leaders of the remote village of Davis Inlet will not turn to the justice system to deal with recent allegations of child sexual abuse.

"We decided we didn't need to go through the system, the courts and all, because justice would not be done," Chief Katie Rich said. "In the white man's system, there would be one winner and one loser. Nothing is gained for the victim. We will deal with the problem. You have to keep in mind that both the victim and the abuser need help. The abuser is sick and needs help."

People in Davis Inlet first learned of the assaults when addictions counsellors treating some of the community's solvent-abusing children notified the police.

Staff at the Poundmaker's Lodge near Edmonton, Alberta called RCMP in Goose Bay when accounts of sexual abuse began to emerge during the treatment of 11 of 18 solvent-addicted children from the community.

The allegations of sexual abuse of the 11 children were first disclosed to the band three weeks ago, Rich said. There has been no contact between the treatment centre and the band council since then.

"Once we determine how we're going to handle this, one thing we are going to do is contact Poundmaker's to tell the children that they haven't done anything wrong."

Rich said she didn't know how long the sexual abuse has been going on and that there are still signs of gas sniffing in the community.

"But it's not as much as in a few years. We have already seen so much," Rich said. "We can handle it. That's the feeling I got from the community."