Oneida First Nation Woman Sues London Ont. Police Alleging Officers Sexually Abused Her For Years

A 67-year-old Oneida Nation of the Thames woman has launched a $6 million lawsuit against the London Police Service (LPS) in southwestern Ontario, alleging three officers sexually abused her for years and officials did nothing to stop it. Two police officers sexually assaulted her over the course of 18 months, starting when she was 12, and a third officer’s abuse continued for five years, starting in her 30s, Elaine Antone says in her lawsuit. Antone says she first reported the abuse to police and Ontario’s police watchdog in early 1994, when she called then-Police Chief Julian Fantino and said she was concerned that one of the officers, the one who abused her in her 30s, it hurt. other women, according to documents filed in Ontario Superior Court. The scariest part was that the gun was there, and I was petrified.- Elaine Antone “I have a great memory and I wish I didn’t,” Antone told CBC News. “I thought police officers were supposed to help people.”
The Oneida Nation of the Thames, an Iroquois community of approximately 2,200 residents, is located approximately 30 kilometers south of London. Antone’s lawsuit names LPS and three officers: the estates of Brian Garraway and Keith Bull, who are deceased, and Edward (Ted) Lane, who is retired. A separate lawsuit seeks $4 million in damages for Antone’s two daughters, who he says Lane fathered. The allegations have not been proven in court. The CBC has also reached out to all of the defendants, but all declined to comment because the matter is before the courts. In a statement of defense filed in court, LPS lawyers denied any wrongdoing, saying the officers were properly vetted and trained, the officers were unaware of any sexual abuse and that if it had occurred, the officers were acting entirely on their own “without the knowledge or the consent of the LPS’.
But Antone’s lawyer, Joe Fearon, disagrees, saying police have had at least four separate occasions to investigate the officers since the late 1960s and have done nothing to stop the ongoing abuse or investigate complaints.
“It’s against Elaine’s dignity to have to go through this, to survive this, to live a life of surviving this and the consequences of this, and to report it and have the police chief do nothing,” Fearon said. , based in Toronto. Antone shared her story in 2018 with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), naming the police officers she says sexually assaulted her. “I’m aboriginal and because of my criminal record, they figured they had it right, that nobody was going to listen to me,” Antone said in the recent CBC interview. “I think there may be other victims, maybe not victims of Bull or Garraway or Lane, but other victims of the London Police Department, and I think they should have a platform to tell their stories as well.”

The abuse began at age 12, a woman says

Antone lived in Oneida with her grandmother until she was five, a childhood she describes as happy and carefree. “I loved sports. I wanted to be a high school math teacher because I loved numbers,” Antone said. But when she moved with her mum and siblings to London, she said, life became more difficult – Antone’s mum was an alcoholic and the police were often called to the family home for domestic disturbances. Antone at age 12, when she says the alleged abuse began. (Contributed by Elaine Antone) When she was 12, Garraway came to the family’s home, asked if Antone was alone and took her to a bedroom, Antone claims. “He locked the door and didn’t talk much,” Antone recalls. “He took out his gun and put it next to me on the mattress and forced me to have sex with him. He was on duty. The scariest thing was that the gun was there and I was petrified.” The abuse by Garraway and similar sexual assaults by a second officer, Bull, continued for 18 months, Antone alleges. At some point, an officer found Antone in Garraway’s vehicle, Antone said. “She was brought back to the station, but there was no investigation,” Fearon told CBC News. “When you find someone with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl in the car and they have no explanation as to why they’re there and that person is a police officer, there should be an investigation.”
Eventually, Antone was sent to the Ontario Training School for Girls (later named Grandview Training School for Girls) in Galt, Ont. — a provincial reform school for girls aged 12 to 18. Survivors, including Antone, allege abuse and neglect at the school. It closed in 1976 and in 2000, the Ontario government formally apologized to the hundreds of girls who were sent there. Eight former employees were eventually charged with various offenses and two guards were convicted. Antone said that in the mid-1980s, she was living in London, using drugs to cope with years of childhood abuse and had frequent run-ins with police officers, including Lane.

Claims in the lawsuit

“Antone alleges that beginning in or about 1985, when Antone was approximately 30 years old, and on numerous occasions over the next approximately five years, defendant Lane repeatedly sexually abused, abused, assaulted, and abused plaintiff Antone,” the lawsuit . states. “Plaintiff Antone alleges that defendant Lane inoculated plaintiff, Antone, twice, resulting in the birth of two children.” Joe Fearon, of the law firm Preszler Injury Lawyers, is working on Antone’s case. (Kate Dubinski/CBC) According to Antone, Lane initially denied he was the father of her two daughters, but after paternity tests proved he was, a family court judge ordered him to pay child support. “At any material time, it would have been apparent to the defendants that the plaintiff, Antone, was a vulnerable individual,” the suit states. The three officers used their positions of power and trust to make sure Antone told no one about the abuse and “interfered with her normal upbringing solely for the purpose of their own gratification,” she claims.
A letter from the constable to the Ontario attorney general detailing Antone’s complaint against Ted Lane, a now retired LPS constable. (From documents filed in the Ontario Superior Court) The defendants were in positions of authority because of her age and family circumstances, and because they were police officers, according to the lawsuit, she trusted and depended on them for safety and security. LPS did not properly supervise the three officers, investigate their backgrounds and characters, or document their weaknesses as police officers, the court documents also allege. The suit also alleges that London’s police chief at the time knew that Lane repeatedly sexually assaulted Antone after she reported him, but did not investigate or reprimand him and allowed him to remain on active duty. Letter from the Director of the SIU to Julian Fantino, then Chief Constable of London. (From documents filed in the Ontario Superior Court) Lane retired in 1996. CBC News made repeated attempts to contact him, but was unsuccessful. In the present trial he is not represented by a lawyer and has not submitted a statement of defence. Antone said that in 1994, she had contacted Fantino and Howard Morton, head of the then-new Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which investigates incidents when police interactions result in serious injury or involve allegations of sexual assault. He had called both men to the house to report that he had bumped into Lane at a bingo and was concerned that she was hurting other women. Antone said she couldn’t remember how she got their house numbers. According to a letter filed as part of court documents, Morton wrote to Fantino: “Ms. Elaine Antone contacted Principal Mr. Morton at his residence on November 20, 1994 and complained of being sexually assaulted by Const. Ted Lane. He reported meeting Const. Lane in April 1985 and although they had intercourse, it was without her consent. She stated that she has two children by Const. Lane, who pays alimony. he attacks another woman, but he has no proof.” Morton’s final report to the Ontario attorney general, dated January 30, 1995, states that Antone “does not want the SIU to investigate the matter nor does she want to complain to the police complaints commissioner.” Because Antone did not want the matter investigated, Morton writes, “I have determined that no further action is required by my office and, therefore, I am closing our file.” In another letter to Fantino contained in the lawsuit documents, Morton suggests “it would be absolutely appropriate” for the chief to discuss the matter with Lane. There is nothing to show that this was done, and London police have not handed over any records to show that an internal investigation took place or that Antone’s allegations were investigated further.
Lane remained in the service for another year. CBC News reached out to Fantino, the police chief in 1994 and 1995 — the years the correspondence dates to — and the deputy chief at the time, Elgin Austen, who was in charge of public complaints. Fantino said he did not recall such a situation, and even if he did, he could not comment because of the ongoing court case. Austen said he remembered Antone as a troubled teenager that officers dealt with. She also said she did not know Lane was the father of her two children and did not remember her allegations against the officer. Morton remembered the phone call from Anton because it was so unusual for him to be called at home, but he couldn’t remember what happened with the case. Attorneys for the Garraway and Bull estates said they could not comment because of the ongoing litigation.

“Trying to keep my spirits up”

Antone’s voice is steady as she tells her story. He has said it many times…

title: “Oneida First Nation Woman Sues London Ont. Police Alleging Officers Sexually Abused Her For Years " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Debra Levitsky”

A 67-year-old Oneida Nation of the Thames woman has launched a $6 million lawsuit against the London Police Service (LPS) in southwestern Ontario, alleging three officers sexually abused her for years and officials did nothing to stop it. Two police officers sexually assaulted her over the course of 18 months, starting when she was 12, and a third officer’s abuse continued for five years, starting in her 30s, Elaine Antone says in her lawsuit. Antone says she first reported the abuse to police and Ontario’s police watchdog in early 1994, when she called then-Police Chief Julian Fantino and said she was concerned that one of the officers, the one who abused her in her 30s, it hurt. other women, according to documents filed in Ontario Superior Court. The scariest part was that the gun was there, and I was petrified.- Elaine Antone “I have a great memory and I wish I didn’t,” Antone told CBC News. “I thought police officers were supposed to help people.”
The Oneida Nation of the Thames, an Iroquois community of approximately 2,200 residents, is located approximately 30 kilometers south of London. Antone’s lawsuit names LPS and three officers: the estates of Brian Garraway and Keith Bull, who are deceased, and Edward (Ted) Lane, who is retired. A separate lawsuit seeks $4 million in damages for Antone’s two daughters, who he says Lane fathered. The allegations have not been proven in court. The CBC has also reached out to all of the defendants, but all declined to comment because the matter is before the courts. In a statement of defense filed in court, LPS lawyers denied any wrongdoing, saying the officers were properly vetted and trained, the officers were unaware of any sexual abuse and that if it had occurred, the officers were acting entirely on their own “without the knowledge or the consent of the LPS’.
But Antone’s lawyer, Joe Fearon, disagrees, saying police have had at least four separate occasions to investigate the officers since the late 1960s and have done nothing to stop the ongoing abuse or investigate complaints.
“It’s against Elaine’s dignity to have to go through this, to survive this, to live a life of surviving this and the consequences of this, and to report it and have the police chief do nothing,” Fearon said. , based in Toronto. Antone shared her story in 2018 with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), naming the police officers she says sexually assaulted her. “I’m aboriginal and because of my criminal record, they figured they had it right, that nobody was going to listen to me,” Antone said in the recent CBC interview. “I think there may be other victims, maybe not victims of Bull or Garraway or Lane, but other victims of the London Police Department, and I think they should have a platform to tell their stories as well.”

The abuse began at age 12, a woman says

Antone lived in Oneida with her grandmother until she was five, a childhood she describes as happy and carefree. “I loved sports. I wanted to be a high school math teacher because I loved numbers,” Antone said. But when she moved with her mum and siblings to London, she said, life became more difficult – Antone’s mum was an alcoholic and the police were often called to the family home for domestic disturbances. Antone at age 12, when she says the alleged abuse began. (Contributed by Elaine Antone) When she was 12, Garraway came to the family’s home, asked if Antone was alone and took her to a bedroom, Antone claims. “He locked the door and didn’t talk much,” Antone recalls. “He took out his gun and put it next to me on the mattress and forced me to have sex with him. He was on duty. The scariest thing was that the gun was there and I was petrified.” The abuse by Garraway and similar sexual assaults by a second officer, Bull, continued for 18 months, Antone alleges. At some point, an officer found Antone in Garraway’s vehicle, Antone said. “She was brought back to the station, but there was no investigation,” Fearon told CBC News. “When you find someone with a 12-year-old Indigenous girl in the car and they have no explanation as to why they’re there and that person is a police officer, there should be an investigation.”
Eventually, Antone was sent to the Ontario Training School for Girls (later named Grandview Training School for Girls) in Galt, Ont. — a provincial reform school for girls aged 12 to 18. Survivors, including Antone, allege abuse and neglect at the school. It closed in 1976 and in 2000, the Ontario government formally apologized to the hundreds of girls who were sent there. Eight former employees were eventually charged with various offenses and two guards were convicted. Antone said that in the mid-1980s, she was living in London, using drugs to cope with years of childhood abuse and had frequent run-ins with police officers, including Lane.

Claims in the lawsuit

“Antone alleges that beginning in or about 1985, when Antone was approximately 30 years old, and on numerous occasions over the next approximately five years, defendant Lane repeatedly sexually abused, abused, assaulted, and abused plaintiff Antone,” the lawsuit . states. “Plaintiff Antone alleges that defendant Lane inoculated plaintiff, Antone, twice, resulting in the birth of two children.” Joe Fearon, of the law firm Preszler Injury Lawyers, is working on Antone’s case. (Kate Dubinski/CBC) According to Antone, Lane initially denied he was the father of her two daughters, but after paternity tests proved he was, a family court judge ordered him to pay child support. “At any material time, it would have been apparent to the defendants that the plaintiff, Antone, was a vulnerable individual,” the suit states. The three officers used their positions of power and trust to make sure Antone told no one about the abuse and “interfered with her normal upbringing solely for the purpose of their own gratification,” she claims.
A letter from the constable to the Ontario attorney general detailing Antone’s complaint against Ted Lane, a now retired LPS constable. (From documents filed in the Ontario Superior Court) The defendants were in positions of authority because of her age and family circumstances, and because they were police officers, according to the lawsuit, she trusted and depended on them for safety and security. LPS did not properly supervise the three officers, investigate their backgrounds and characters, or document their weaknesses as police officers, the court documents also allege. The suit also alleges that London’s police chief at the time knew that Lane repeatedly sexually assaulted Antone after she reported him, but did not investigate or reprimand him and allowed him to remain on active duty. Letter from the Director of the SIU to Julian Fantino, then Chief Constable of London. (From documents filed in the Ontario Superior Court) Lane retired in 1996. CBC News made repeated attempts to contact him, but was unsuccessful. In the present trial he is not represented by a lawyer and has not submitted a statement of defence. Antone said that in 1994, she had contacted Fantino and Howard Morton, head of the then-new Special Investigations Unit (SIU), which investigates incidents when police interactions result in serious injury or involve allegations of sexual assault. He had called both men to the house to report that he had bumped into Lane at a bingo and was concerned that she was hurting other women. Antone said she couldn’t remember how she got their house numbers. According to a letter filed as part of court documents, Morton wrote to Fantino: “Ms. Elaine Antone contacted Principal Mr. Morton at his residence on November 20, 1994 and complained of being sexually assaulted by Const. Ted Lane. He reported meeting Const. Lane in April 1985 and although they had intercourse, it was without her consent. She stated that she has two children by Const. Lane, who pays alimony. he attacks another woman, but he has no proof.” Morton’s final report to the Ontario attorney general, dated January 30, 1995, states that Antone “does not want the SIU to investigate the matter nor does she want to complain to the police complaints commissioner.” Because Antone did not want the matter investigated, Morton writes, “I have determined that no further action is required by my office and, therefore, I am closing our file.” In another letter to Fantino contained in the lawsuit documents, Morton suggests “it would be absolutely appropriate” for the chief to discuss the matter with Lane. There is nothing to show that this was done, and London police have not handed over any records to show that an internal investigation took place or that Antone’s allegations were investigated further.
Lane remained in the service for another year. CBC News reached out to Fantino, the police chief in 1994 and 1995 — the years the correspondence dates to — and the deputy chief at the time, Elgin Austen, who was in charge of public complaints. Fantino said he did not recall such a situation, and even if he did, he could not comment because of the ongoing court case. Austen said he remembered Antone as a troubled teenager that officers dealt with. She also said she did not know Lane was the father of her two children and did not remember her allegations against the officer. Morton remembered the phone call from Anton because it was so unusual for him to be called at home, but he couldn’t remember what happened with the case. Attorneys for the Garraway and Bull estates said they could not comment because of the ongoing litigation.

“Trying to keep my spirits up”

Antone’s voice is steady as she tells her story. He has said it many times…